Path of a Jedi
by The Anvil of Writing
Summary: Star Wars AU- It is a dark time for the galaxy. The Evil Galactic Empire has overthrown The Galactic Republic and has enslaved the galaxy under its iron fist. The Jedi Knights who once protected the Republic have been hunted to extinction by Darth Insanus. But not all hope is lost, a rebellion against the Empire has begun, and not all of the Jedi are dead.
1. Chapter 1- The Shipyards of Fondor

Chapter 1- The Shipyards of Fondor

* * *

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…

STAR WARS

PATH OF A JEDI

It is a dark time for the Galaxy. The Evil Galactic Empire, ruled by Emperor Drago Bludvist, has overthrown the Galactic Republic, conquering thousands of star systems in less than two years.

The Jedi Order, who were once renowned as guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy, have been betrayed by the Jedi now known as Darth Insanus. Now, he leads the Great Jedi Purge and has hunted the remaining Jedi Knights to the verge of extinction.

But not all hope is lost. A Rebellion lead by Stoick and Valka Haddock of Berk oppose the Empire's oppressive regime and hope to one day restore freedom to the Galaxy. Now, they lead the Rebellion Fleet against The Imperial Shipyards of Fondor, with the hope to cripple the Empire's ship production in the region…

Over the Mid-Rim world of Fondor, the Rebellion Fleet was engaged with the Imperial Fleet, the largest conflict to date. The Rebellion, or Rebel Alliance as they called themselves, started immediately after the Galactic Empire was formed, but so far their raids have been small, barely an annoyance to the Empire. Now, they were making themselves known to the Empire that they were serious in their cause, to restore freedom to the galaxy...

* * *

Dozens of Rebel and Imperial ships were engaged in combat within the planet's atmosphere. Within the carnage, two X-Wings flew together side by side. Unlike other X-Wings that had red paint on them, these two were customized. One was painted a sky blue, the other a metallic grey, to replace the classic red. The two were neck and neck as they flew through the turbo laser fire being exchanged between an Assault Frigate and a Victory Cruiser, both ships pounding the shields of the other. An Acclamator was working its way over, its forward batteries opening fire along the way at the Assault Frigate. The two then had to do a quick barrel roll to avoid fire from a Tartan Cruiser, which was quickly destroyed by several concussion missiles that hit its port side, ripping the hull apart. They flew past a Star Destroyer that was in the process of destroying several Alliance ships, the debris of a Corellian Corvette and Gunship could be seen floating aimlessly. The Star Destroyer fired a volley of turbo-laser fire into the narrow middle section of a Nebulon Frigate that connects the front and rear of the ship, cracking it in two. However, the rear section fell towards the Start Destroyer and plunged into its hull, causing the ship to explode when its reactor went off.

Heather looked over her shoulder within the cockpit of her white and grey colored X-Wing, watching as the ship's debris crashed into nearby ships, including another Star Destroyer. "I hope Stoick knows what he is doing." She began, concern laced in her voice, "If this attack fails, this Rebellion will be over before it even begins."

"It won't fail." Astrid reassured her from her white and blue X-Wing, "As long as you can keep up with me." She finished an amused challenge in her voice.

All the concern Heather had was gone when she responded, "You're on!" With the challenge set, they focused on the mission they were assigned, leading the attack on the Shipyards, the command station to be precise, while the main fleet kept the larger ships occupied.

Astrid opened the comm channel, "Red Leader, Green Leader, and Blue Leader. This is Stormfly, do you copy? She asked over the comm, using her call sign that used to be her Air Racing name before the Empire came to Berk.

"Copy Stormfly." Was the response she received from three separate voices, one of them being feminine.

"Form your squads up behind Windshear and me." She began, using Heather's call sign and former Air Racing name, "The path to the shipyard is clear of larger ships, but there are still TIE Fighters patrolling the area. We'll have to take them out before the bombers can take the command station out."

"We're on your tail now Stormfly." She received in response from red leader, a female Zabrek named Jorya Sprax. She and Heather looked over their shoulder to see a squad of A-Wings, a squad of B-Wings, and a squad of X-Wings forming up behind them, bringing their total number of fighters attacking the shipyard from two up to seventeen.

"Lock S-Foils in attack positions," Heather ordered. Immediately, the wings of the X-Wings folded outwards, making their namesake X shape, while the Wings along the sides of the B-Wings folded outwards causing them to take a T shape. They all made a beeline for the shipyards, and the TIE Fighters patrolling noticed as more poured out from the Shipyard's hangers.

"This is where the fun begins," Astrid smirked.

"Fifty credits that I get more kills than you." Heather challenged.

"Deal," Astrid responded, before looking back and seeing the fighters heading their way. The TIEs opened fire as they got close, and the Rebel fighters broke formation to avoid the fire. The scene became chaotic as individual dogfighting broke out, streaks of red and green laser fire going in every direction. Several TIE Fighters went after a single B-Wing. After a few missed shots, one of the TIEs landed a direct hit on the main section, causing the B-Wing to explode and shatter, the cockpit broke off and imploded from the depressurization in the vacuum of space. Two TIE fighters began to chase Jorya Sprax's X-Wing.

"There all over me!" Heather heard in her comm set, panic-laced in her voice. "I can't get them off my…" Was the last thing she heard before static took its place. She looked to her left and saw her fly by with the two TIEs still on her tail. Heather immediately chased after them. Once she had one lined up in her sights, she opened fire. With a few shots, one the TIEs exploded and the other broke off his chase. Before Heather could pursue, a series a laser fire broke off one of its wings and he spiraled out control before exploding. Heather looked up to see Astrid's X-Wing fly by her.

"That one was mine!" She yelled into her comm in frustration.

"You were too slow." Was the only response she got. She sighed before focusing back on task.

* * *

Meanwhile, a Mon Calamari Star Cruiser was in the thick of the battle. Its long cylindrical hull that was blue-gray in color, tapered nose, bulbous stern, and the image of a Rumblehorn on the side made it seem like it was flying into battle. This was _The Skullcrusher_ , personal flagship to Rebel Alliance General and one of its founders, Stoick Haddock. From here, he could command the fleet while participating in the battle. The ship was one of three Mon Calamari Star Cruisers that the Mon Calamari people had brought with them when they first joined the Alliance. They were unable to bring any more or make them since their homeworld of Mon Calamari, where their shipyards were, was still under the control of the Empire.

From his command deck, Stoick was observing the battle as it was happening, wearing his brown and green uniform, his red beard was arranged in several braids, and his hair was in one braid behind his head, although there was some grey in his hair now, a clear sign of his age. The main cruiser force was doing its job; occupying the Imperial Fleet protecting the Shipyards and its command station so their fighters and bombers could destroy it, but they wouldn't last much longer. They needed to complete their objective quickly before reinforcements arrived and cut off their escape. They needed this victory, badly. If they could inflict a decisive blow against the Empire here, it would prove that the Empire wasn't invincible like people thought and could inspire other worlds to rebel against them. There was no other alternative, they had to win.

"Chief Stoick." Was called behind him, catching his attention. It was his old title for when he ruled the planet Berk, and people still called him that instead of giving him a military rank. If he had one, it would be either General or Admiral, since he was adept at commanding forces on the ground or in space, so they settled for Chief. He looked behind him to see his best friend and main advisor, Gobber, in his a grey jacket, a light yellow shirt that was marked with grease stains, a glove over his left hand, brown pants, and brown boots, looking up at him from his spot by a holographic display of the battle.

"What is it Gobber?" He asked as he walked over.

"Heather and Astrid have begun their attack on the shipyards. They're engaged with the TIE Fighters protecting it and clearing away for the bombers." Gobber replied. Stoick looked up to the Shipyards on the display. The Shipyards consisted of a single space station that controlled the automatic construction droids that were busy making new ships, ranging in size from individual TIE Fighters to Star Destroyers, at large space docks in the surrounding area. The space station was their main target. If they destroyed it, construction of Imperial Ships would cease. Stoick then saw that the fighter attack on the Shipyards had been noticed. A Victory-Class Star Destroyer had broken off from the battle and was heading over. While these vessels were half the size of a normal Star Destroyer, they could still be a threat. They are also more unique with their dagger-shaped design by stopping halfway down the vessel, going parallel to the engines for a section with turbo-lasers in it, then resuming the dagger-shaped design. It was launching TIEs to reinforce the fighters defending the station. Stoick had to make a decision and fast, or the attack would fail.

"Order _The Salvation_ to engage that Imperial ship, and have _The Liberator_ and _The Runner_ reinforce Astrid and Heather's position." He ordered pointing to a Nebulon B Escort Frigate, then two Corellian Corvettes as he issued them.

" _Sir"_ He heard a Sullustan officer say to him in his native language of Sullustese, " _Those Ships protect our starboard flank. If you move them, we'll be vulnerable."_ He elaborated.

"I know that, but Astrid's fighter group cannot fail. Order Delta and Omega wing to cover our starboard flank." He countered, rather bluntly at that. The Sullustan's large, almond shaped black eyes widened and his large ears perked up in surprise, but he nodded in satisfaction. The orders we issued and the ships moved to their new positions. It was working, _The Salvation_ was opening fire on the cruiser, and the Corvettes were shooting down the Fighters.

"Chief." Astrid's voice was heard over the comm, "We've broken through the Fighter defense, with some help." She started, adding the last part under her breath. "We're starting our attack on the station now. The bombers should be clear to make their run now." She added on.

"Alright." Stoick confirmed before opening a comm channel, "Grey leader, you are clear for your run." He spoke into it, getting an affirmative from the other end.

"Sir!" He heard over his shoulder coming from a male Zabrek seated at the radar station. "We have an Imperial Star Destroyer on our starboard side." Stoick looked up to see it was true. A single Star Destroyer was approaching them in the midst of the chaotic battle, running parallel to them, it's long dagger-like design cutting through space menacingly.

His response was immediate, "Divert power to the Starboard turbo-laser, ion cannons, and shields. Tell the gunners to fire at will." The orders were relayed and they waited. As the Star Destroyer flew alongside them, their cannons opened fire. The two ships exchanged fire, but _The Skullcrusher's_ shields were holding, while the mix of ion cannons and turbo-laser fire pounded the Star Destroyer's shields and they began to fail, the hull was starting to take damage.

"Sir, we have over a dozen contacts heading straight for us, Starboard side!" Another voice called out. Stoick focused his sight away from the Star Destroyer and saw it, five Imperial Landing Shuttles and a dozen boarding pods. The Star Destroyer was a distraction!

"Omega Squad! Alter course to intercept." Stoick ordered into the comm. The squad of A-Wings headed to the group and opened fire once they were in range. A Shuttle was hit in the port side wing, it lost control and crashed into the Star Destroyer. The Star Destroyer was taking heavy damage and was now moving away from _The Skullcrusher_ , its purpose had been fulfilled. The ships turbo-lasers now focused on their new targets but were only able to hit two pods and another shuttle. The remaining shuttles had landed in an open hanger and the boarding pods had implanted themselves along the ship's hull, the spike on the front plunging into the hull then magnetically sealing themselves onto the ship before the spike would open up, allowing the occupants to board.

"Sir, we've lost contact with Hanger One and security is reporting Stormtroopers all along the starboard halls. They're spreading out across the ship" one panicked technician called out.

"Ordered all marines to regroup and counter-attack. Seal off and isolate them where they're at." Stoick began, before looking to anther Berkian on the bridge, "Spitelout, you're in charge up here. Gobber, we're going to give our intruders a proper Berkian welcome." He finished, giving his friend a knowing smile.

* * *

Staring out the port side of _The Skullcrusher_ through one of the ships windows was a set of identical twins, one male, and one female. They both wore identical clothing, brown vests, yellow shirts, fingerless gloves, brown pants, and brown boots. Both have blonde hair, but the male had his in dreads while the female has hers in two braids.

"This is amazing!" The male said as they watched the carnage outside.

"This is chaos on a level we've never seen." The female responded, her blue eyes focused on a squad of Y-Wings firing proton torpedoes at the bridge of a Star Destroyer. The torpedoes hit their mark. Within seconds, fire began to erupt from the ship's bridge and the tower that connected it to the main hull, and it began to plummet towards the planet, its engines losing power.

"Yeah, too bad Stoick wouldn't let us fly this battle." The male lamented, irritated that they were missing out on the fun.

"I know, it's not our fault they don't trust us." The female replied sharing her brother's irritation. Suddenly, alarms started to blare as a voice came over the ship's intercom.

"ATTENTION ALL HANDS, WE HAVE BEEN BOARDED, STARBOARD SIDE! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL!"

The two looked at each other before smile overtook their faces. This was a chance for action. They grabbed their blaster rifles and headed to where the action was. It didn't take long as they came across a group of marines opening fire down the hallway at a group of Stormtroopers, their white armor and closed helmets with T-shaped designs making them look identical to each other. The two groups exchanged fire, their shots occasionally hitting their mark, The Rebels were outnumbered and being pushed back. Among the marines was a woman in her forties in a dark brown uniform with a yellowish green undershirt. She had auburn colored hair that has some grey in it fashioned in three braids down her back. Her green eyes were lit with determination as she aimed down the sight of her customized bo-rifle and shot a Stormtrooper between the eyes. This was Valka Haddock, one of the Alliance's leaders and one of its fiercest fighters, and it was easy to see why.

As a trio of Stormtroopers took advantage of the cover fire that had the Rebels pinned down and moved to her position, she took cover and clicked a button on her rifle. In an instance, two long metal tubes extended from the front and end of the rifle, turning it into and electro-staff as the ends crackled to life with electricity. One of the troopers came to her position, only to be greeted by a strike to the chest and a lethal dose of electricity, killing him instantly. With one down, she advanced onto the others. She used her staff to knock one trooper's blaster out of his hand. She then swept his legs out from under him before stabbing him in the chest while he was one the ground. The third trooper attempted to wrestle her to the ground, but she threw him off, transformed her staff back into a rifle and shot him in the chest. With that threat dealt with, she rolled to avoid enemy fire and took cover behind one of the hallway's pillars. She looked down the hall to see the twins opening fire at the troopers with the rest of the marines.

"Ruffnut, Tuffnut!" She yelled, getting their attention, "If you have any thermal detonators, and I know you do, use them now." She ordered.

Ruff and Tuff looked at each other, sharing an excited look and smile. They each pulled out a detonator, primed it, and threw them down the hall within the lines of the intruders. Within seconds, the detonators exploded, killing the troopers instantly and throwing their bodies away from the blast while shaking the hall. Once it had settled, the Rebels peaked from their positions to see that the Stormtroopers had been wiped out.

"Good work everyone!" Valka offered in praise to those who were present, "Now let's move, there are still more throughout the ship."

* * *

Meanwhile, Stoick and Goober had just arrived at Hanger One, where the three Imperial shuttles had landed. The area around the shuttles had dozens of Stormtroopers around them, using crates, barrels, and ships as cover, as the Rebels held their ground near the main entrance. The Rebels were unable to prevent the Stormtroopers from going through the side doors on each side of the hanger, one was connected to an adjacent hanger and the other lead to out of the hanger and into the ship. Stoick knelt down next to his nephew his nephew, Snotlout Jorgenson, who was wearing a black shirt, grey jacket, grey pants, and brown boots. He was hiding behind cover and had a heavy blaster in his hands.

"Snotlout, what's the situation?" Stoick asked.

"They got us pinned down sir, we weren't able to stop them from landing," Snotlout replied, quickly ducking his head as another stray shot flew by his head.

Stoick looked back up, pulled out his blaster pistol from a holster on his right hip and fired at a Stormtrooper, striking him in the chest and killing him. "We need to counter attack." He stated. He began to assess the situation, looking for an opportunity, and quickly found it.

"There, we can use those ships and crates as cover for out advance." He called out, pointing to unoccupied ships and the crates around them on their right flank. "C'mon Goober." He said. The two then began their advance, ducking behind a crates or ships before opening fire at the enemy. Meanwhile, Snotlout was providing covering fire for their advance, keeping the enemy pinned down. From the door on the left side of the hanger looking out into space, Valka and her group, including the Twins, emerged and began firing at the invaders. Valka clicked the button on her bo-rifle and charged into enemy lines. They were trained well, but nothing could prepare for a Berkian Rebel wielding an electro-staff. From across the hanger, Stoick observed her in battle. She could somehow look both terrifying and beautiful in battle.

A quick tap on his shoulder from Goober made him refocus on the battle. Goober then pointed to a large storage crate that was to their left and gave him a knowing look. Stoick responded to him with a nod, then they ran to the crate, firing on the way there. Once they got behind it, they began to push it. The crate slowly moved forward, making a loud scraping noise as it moved. On the way there, Stoick had put his blaster away and pulled out a specially made vibro-axe, a Berkian weapon that old legends have told could stand up to lightsabers, the legendary weapons of the Jedi and Sith. Gobber had pulled out a vibro-sword that was sheathed on his back, a weapon with similar qualities to Stoick's vibro-axe. Once the two men were within meters of enemy lines, they both pushed a button on the hilt of their weapons, the weapons began to glow and hum as energy flowed through the blades.

Once they reached enemy lines, they broke from their cover and charged at the shocked Stormtroopers. Stoick killed one with an upward slashed before bringing the axe down onto another. Gobber had run his blade through an unfortunate Stormtrooper when another tried to bring an energy baton upon his head. His response was to raise his left hand, the energy baton collided with the arm with an unexpected clang. If it wasn't for the helmet, Gobber would have seen the surprised look on the Stormtrooper's face. Gobber took advantage of this pause and slashed the trooper across the chest, killing him. Gobber then looked at his hand, which appeared to have locked up into a fist, but it cleared up and was back under his control.

"Prosthetic arm works every time." He joked, looking at his mechanical limb in pride. Stoick was finishing off the remaining troops. He had just thrown his axe to a distant trooper before pulling out his blaster and shooting the other two. He looked up to see Goober finishing off the last one by decapitating him, the Rebels that were previously near the door had finished off the troopers positioned in front of the middle shuttle, and Valka had just downed the last trooper on her side, with almost a dozen troopers showing signs of falling to her staff.

He was taken out of his thoughts by Gobber, "Reminds of the time those Corellians made that rude comment about her cooking." He joked, causing a smile to cross Stoick's face as he laughed at the memory. He looked around to admire their victory. The hanger was theirs again, and they now had three Imperial Shuttles they could use.

"Snotlout!" He called out, earning the attention of the young adult, "Fan out with security and find any stragglers. I want them off my ship!" He ordered. Snotlout nodded and gather a few other marines as they carried out their orders, while Stoick, Gobber, and Valka returned to the bridge.

* * *

Astrid had just pulled up from another strafing run, her X-Wing shaking from the shockwaves ripping through space from the explosions that were caused by the destruction of several gun emplacements. The space station had a discus design for the main hull, with a circumference equivalent to two Star Destroyers lined up in a row. There were four hangers on the station, each was perfectly lined up with another. At the hangers, towers shot out above and below the hull, with gun emplacements throughout them and communication antennas on top of them. In the center of the disc was another tower, this one was the command center. The stations defenses were tight, but they were made for a large scale assault. The fighters were having an easier time slipping through them thanks to their speed and maneuverability, but the slower bombers were less maneuverable and would be vulnerable to the station's anti-fighter defense. They had to clear a path for them if this attack was to succeed.

The hangers were currently in flames due to their attack and unable to launch any fighter, at several points across the station that were the blasted ruins of gun emplacements. The attack was going well, they had only lost two fighters, and A-Wing and a B-Wing, to the TIE Fighter on the way here. Thankfully, _The Liberator_ and _The Runner_ had helped them clear a path through the TIEs and were currently holding down their escape route, safely out of range of the station's defenses, while preventing any TIEs from the main battle joining in the defense of the station.

But this wouldn't last as an Imperial Broadside Cruiser was lining up its missile batteries towards _The Liberator,_ its spherical main hull with its missile batteries flanked by two limbs running parallel to each other that were equipped with turbo-lasers slowly moving to position. Once it was in position, it launched six concussion missiles towards the target. The missiles sailed through space and found their target, punching straight through _The Liberator's_ shields and rupturing its hull. The ship began to crack as it experienced sudden decompression in the vacuum of space and fell apart, leaving an opening for the TIEs to take advantage of.

"Wing leaders come in _The Liberator_ down. I repeat, _The Liberator_ is down! Enemy fighters coming your way." Was what Astrid heard in her headset. She looked over to see two squads of TIE Fighters, fourteen in total, join the fight.

She saw one go after another X-Wing, "Watch it, you got one on your tail!" She called out to the pilot over to comm. The Tie was close on his tail as he tried to lose it. Astrid attempted to help out, but she was too late. A few volleys of fire from the TIE Fighter and he was hit, his X-Wing caught fire before it exploded when his fuel tank was exposed to the flames. She didn't have time to mourn for this failure as she noticed another TIE Fighter pursuing a B-Wing. She responded quickly and pursued them. She positioned herself behind the TIE Fighter, who was too busy firing at the B-Wing to notice her. She lined up the shot, her targeting system beeping as she lined up the shot. Once it started beeping confirming it was in perfect position, she opened fire. After a few shots, the TIE fighter was hit and exploded.

"Thanks Stormfly" The pilot offered in thanks.

She was about to respond when her comm come back up with, "Windshear, you got two fighters after you." Sure enough, Heather had two TIE Fighters chasing at her, firing volleys of laser fire at her when they had a shot, but kept missing. Heather flew around one of the station's towers and as she did, an A-Wing flew perpendicular to them and fired at the TIEs, taking one of them out.

"I got one of them, but the other one is still after you." The pilot called out.

"I can't shake him," Heather shouted into her comm, trying to remain calm. This pilot was good, and he wasn't giving up on the chase. She flew through the Shipyards, the droids working on the ships there would look up for a moment to watch her fly by before resuming their work. The TIE was firing at her from above, just barely missing the shots as she maneuvered out of the way of them.

"Heather, prepare to bank right, I'll cover you." She heard Jorya Sprax say in the comm. She did as she was told and banked right and out of the Shipyard, the TIE close on her tail. The TIE followed her the entire way, trying to keep her in his sights. Once they finished the turn, he saw an X-Wing flying towards him, firing at him. It was too late for him to avoid the fire, and the shots hit his Fighter, causing it to explode. Jorya's X-Wing flew through the explosion, only earning a few scorch marks.

"Thanks, Jorya," Heather said once she caught her breath, not realizing she was short of it.

"Just returning the favor." Jorya offered in response.

"Wing leaders, this is Grey Leader." Was called over the comm, it was the bombers. They had finally arrived. "We're are in visual range of the station and are making our attack run now."

"We copy you." Astrid began, "Be advised, there are fighters in the area, but we'll keep them off of you. You are clear to make your run.

"Copy that." Was the response she earned.

The three squads of Y-Wings, fifteen in total, began their approach to the station, avoiding fire along the way. Within one of these Y-Wings was a husky Berkian make with blonde hair, blue eyes, chubby features, and dressed in a grey pilot's jumpsuit. This was Fishlegs Ingerman and this was his first combat mission. He was nervous, he had never flown in combat before. His palms were sweating, and sticking to insides of the black gloves on his hand. They were coming up on their target, the main spire of the space station. If they destroyed it at the base, it would cripple the whole station, maybe destroy if they did enough damage. But first, they had to get past the Fighters and avoid the station's defenses that were still operational.

Fishlegs focused on the path in front of them, tuning out the world around him. He ignored the dog fights around him, maneuvered his way around the turbo laser fire coming their way. The station was almost in firing range. His targeting computer began to beep, indicating it was in range. He pulled down on the trigger and launched his payload of proton torpedoes. The torpedoes travelled on their path before impacting the Command Tower's base, exploding on impact. The combined explosion from the multiple torpedoes hit the base caused massive damage as the explosion travel throughout the tower.

"Direct hit! I repeat, we have a direct hit!" Grey leader called out, "Scans show that the reactor's cooling system has been compromised. It's going to blow."

` "Understood, all ships clear the station. We've done our job." Astrid ordered. All the fighters cleared the area. Within moments, the Station exploded, sending debris everywhere. The droids at the shipyards constructing ships shut down, their control center destroyed.

"Chief Stoick, The Station has been destroyed. I repeat the Station has been destroyed. The shipyard's production has stopped." Astrid informed Stoick.

"I hear you. All ships, make the jump to hyperspace. Rendezvous at the designated coordinates." Stoick responded. Astrid immediately began to input the coordinates in her Nava computer. Within seconds, the stars blurred as she entered hyperspace.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I really should be working on** _ **How to Become an Assassin, the Hard Way**_ **, but this idea would not leave my head.**

 **Please leave any constructive criticisms in your reviews, and I hope you have enjoyed this chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2- Rumors of Hope

Chapter 2- Rumors of Hope

* * *

Astrid had dropped out of hyperspace to be greeted by the Alliance Fleet. The Fleet was meeting in an old asteroid field that was once a mining site. There was plenty old mining equipment left, not enough to set up a base, but enough that they could stop here for repairs. Astrid was one her way to one of _The Skullcrusher's_ hangers, she already noticed that they were crew members in space suits repairing holes in the hull of the ship. Although it was strange to see that some of the holes weren't caused by laser fire, must have been something else. She would figure it out later. She brought her X-Wing in for a landing. When that was done, she opened her cockpit and made her way down the ladder. Once she made her to the base of the ladder, she took off her helmet, revealing her blonde hair that was fashioned into a braid that ran down her shoulder and sky blue eyes.

She looked across the hanger to see Heather doing the same, revealing her raven black hair that was fashioned in a less complicated braid that ran over her left shoulder and emerald green eyes. Heather made eye contact with Astrid and began to walk over.

"Not bad out there today." Heather complimented.

"Not too bad out there yourself," Astrid responded with her own compliment, her competitive smile on her face.

"Sixteen, that was my kill count today," Heather stated, reminding Astrid of their challenge.

"Eighteen." Astrid responded, holding her competitive smile when she saw Heather's face, "Pay up."

Heather began to reach into the pocket of her orange jumpsuit when they were interrupted, "Twenty-one." They heard, looking over to see Jorya Sparx walking over, the Zabrek's dark brown hair was in a ponytail down her back, her brown eyes alight in mischief, and the few horns on her forehead gave her a fierce look, but her friends knew otherwise. "I heard you guys over the comm make that bet, and it sounded like an open challenge." She stated in a matter of fact tone. "So what do I win?"

Heather and Astrid looked at each other for a moment, but finally relented and they both handed fifty credits over to a satisfied Jorya. This satisfaction was short lived as Heather noticed a group of Y-Wings pilots involved in the station fight walked by, "Hey guys." She called out, gaining their attention, "Jorya has the first round of drinks covered for you, to reward you for a job well done." She said, earning cheers from the pilots and a heated look from Jorya as she was whisked away by the excited pilots. Only one remained behind, and it was Fishlegs.

"Do you always have to make things a competition?" He asked.

"Of course, it's always a competition," Astrid answered in an amused tone, but her demeanor changed to disgusted when Snotlout walked up.

"I heard you did pretty well today Babe." He flirted, but he seemed to note Astrid's angered look and moved on, "Oh and Heather," Snotlout continued, "You know if Stoick didn't ground me, I would have made sure no TIE Fighter would have bothered you." Heather did not appreciate this and showed it as she grabbed Snotlout's arm and threw him onto the ground.

"You were grounded because you tried to take on a Tartan Cruiser by yourself to impress one of the female pilots, almost getting your squad killed in the process," Heather said standing over Snotlout's body, ignoring his complaints.

Ruffnut and Tuffnut had walked on over and began laughing at Snotlout's dilemma. "Oh, you never learn Snotlout." Ruffnut sniggered.

"Yeah, too bad we didn't get to fly today." Tuffnut joined in.

"I know, it's like Stoick doesn't trust up," Ruffnut added.

"You fried all the circuits in your Y-wing trying to 'Maximize its exploding power', and on top of the fact, you almost blew up a hanger trying to increase the firepower of our proton torpedoes." Fishlegs interrupted, using his hands to emphasize their quote.

Neither Astrid nor Heather wanted to hear the Twin's excuses as they just left, heading to their quarters to get out of their orange jumpsuits.

* * *

Astrid emerged from her quarters wearing her normal clothes; a red shirt, bluish gray vest, light brown arm guards, dark blue pants, light brown boots, and a brown headband that kept her bangs out of her face. Down the hall, Heather had just left her quarters. She was now wearing a brown shirt, pants, boots, a gray vest, and gray arm guards. The two walked down the hallway, on their way to the Mess Hall, but were not expecting to find Gobber walking their direction.

"Astrid, Heather, Stoick wants to see you two," Gobber told them, keeping it simple but leaving an air of mystery to it. Astrid and Heather looked at each other but complied and followed Gobber. It was a short walk to the Command Bridge. Once they stepped inside they saw Stoick, Valka, and the other Alliance leaders, including a few other Berkians, arguing over something.

"You can't be serious Stoick!" She heard one of them yell out, Mildew to be exact. He always needs to find something to complain about.

"We have to be certain, this could turn the war around for us and rally our soldiers." She heard Stoick counter, his back turned to her.

"Ahem, we're here," Gobber spoke up, gaining everyone's attention.

Stoick turned around, frustration present on his face, but it melted when he set his eyes on Astrid and Heather. "Ah, it's good to see you two." He started, "First things first, congratulations on the successful attack on the Command Station." He finished clapping his hands, the others joining in. They both acknowledged the praise, though Heather seemed a little awkward accepting it, not quite as comfortable in the spotlight like Astrid was.

Once the applause was done, Stoick resumed speaking, "Now that we have that settled, on to business. We have received an interesting report from one of our agents, one I need you to investigate."

"What is it? An Imperial attack, supplies we could rob?" Astrid asked, unsure of what could cause the pandemonium she heard entering the room.

"No, it's something bigger than that," Valka answered for her.

"Well, what is it?" Heather asked, irritated at the big mystery.

"Our agent heard rumors of a Jedi on Tatooine." Spitelout answer bluntly, "But I'm with Mildew in thinking that this could be a waste of time."

Now that was something they were not expecting. The Jedi were once the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy and protectors of The Galactic Republic. They were wiped out when the Empire took over two years ago and believed to be extinct. If the Jedi were still alive, and if they were to join the Rebel Alliance, it would be a big boost to morale, and be an advantage in their war against the Empire.

"How do we know this?" Astrid asked skeptically.

"Our agent overheard a conversation between two spacers, claiming some strange things that only a Jedi could cause," Valka answered for them.

"We don't know if this is true!" Mildew exclaimed, "For all we know, those spacers could have been high on spice." He finished, earning nods from a few of the more skeptical leaders present.

"But what if this is true?" Gobber countered.

"This could be more trouble than it is worth, and from my experience; if you go looking for trouble, you'll always find it," Spitelout said.

"We have to do this. We have so much to gain from this." Valka spoke up, putting as much passion she could muster into her voice.

"Bah, you're just hoping this Jedi is your son." Mildew said, rather insensitively.

That struck Valka and Stoick deep. If looks could kill, Mildew would be a smoking corpse right now. It was common knowledge that their son, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, was born force-sensitive and was accepted into the Jedi Order as an infant. While they were extremely hesitant to hand him over, they considered it a great honor for their son to be a Jedi. The Jedi were revered for their skills in battle and sense of justice for generations on Berk. That was twenty-two years ago. They haven't seen their son since then and were looking for any information on his fate, whether he was alive or dead, they didn't care. They simply needed closure on the matter.

"ENOUGH!" Stoick yelled out, "Our personal interest aside, we need to investigate this. From here on, anything we do is a risk, and the benefit from this is too great to ignore." He finished, waiting for anyone else to speak out. When no one did, he turned back towards the Astrid and Heather, "Astrid, Heather, I want you to take Snotlout, Fishlegs, and the Twins to investigate these rumors on Tatooine. Take _The Deadly Nadder_ and head out as soon as possible. Report back with what you find, and if you can, bring this Jedi back with you." Stoick ordered in a firm but gentle tone, the complete opposite from a moment ago. Astrid and Heather nodded and walked out of the Bridge with their new orders.

* * *

Astrid entered the hanger and gazed at the ship that had been in the Hofferson family for generations, _The Deadly Nadder._ _The Deadly Nadder_ was a Defender-class light Corvette made thousands of years ago. It was a gift from a Jedi Knight to the Hofferson family thousands of years ago for their service in their war against the Sith Empire. While its model was no longer in production, it was modified as the years went on, making it one of the finest vessels in the galaxy. Its original paint job was a light red, but it had seen various paint jobs as generations went on. Its currents paint job was a beautiful mix of sky blue, purples, and yellows as if the pilot was flying through a storm.

The frontal hull of the corvette was curved at an angle that deflected enemy laser fire easily, and two sets of twin laser cannons were situated at either end of the bow while the corvette's bridge was located in the center between the ship's main running lights. The main body of the ship was roughly in the shape of a triangular figure-eight, with the rear of the ship sporting two access hatches on both sides, and the corvette's twin thrusters situated at the end of the vessel. The access hatches were situated on either side of the main conference room, with the sensor array and communications dish located on the exterior of the vessel. The primary boarding ramp was located in the center of the corvette's lower hull and opened out beneath the ship's bridge. _The Deadly Nadder_ was equipped with high-powered deflector shields for defense, while the ship's missile launchers allowed it to take on enemy vessels of far greater size and strength, including Star Destroyers.

Astrid had spent the past hour grabbing a bite to eat at the mess hall, collecting the gang, and gathering their gear.

The twins were now equipped with matching A280C blaster rifles, the standard rifle for Alliance soldiers, electro-staffs, and enough explosives to destroy a small cruiser.

Fishlegs was armed with a T-21 heavy blaster, a robust blaster that could do massive damage at long range, but suffered from the lack of an optic scope and slow fire rate, as well a club.

Snotlout grabbed his DLT-19, a repeating blaster he grabbed as a trophy from one of the Stormtroopers that boarded the ship during the Battle of Fondor. It was an excellent weapon with good firepower and a fast rate of fire. He also had his vibro-sword, a weapon that had been in the Jorgenson family for generations.

Heather found her DH-17, an automatic blaster pistol that was the norm for the Rebellion's soldiers and was one of the last things she had to remember her parents. On her back, she had her custom made vibro-axe. The weapon could be used like a normal hatchet, but could be used as an axe-staff with the push of a button, like an electro-staff.

Astrid armed herself with a DL-44, one of the most powerful blaster pistols in the galaxy, and her own vibro-axe. The axe had a long handle and a large double axe head, and family legends said it had tasted the blood of Sith Lords thousands of years ago.

Astrid walked up the boarding ramp and into the cockpit, Heather was already in the co-pilot's seat and Snotlout was at a Nava computer. She took her seat and began to prep for takeoff, "Command deck, this is Astrid Hofferson on _The Deadly Nadder._ Request permission for takeoff." She spoke into the comm.

"Astrid Hofferson, this is command deck. You have clearance for takeoff. Good Hunting." She received. She nodded her head and took control of the ship. The ship lurched as it raised off the ground, the landing gear retreating into the hull. The ship slowly made its way out of the hanger. Once it was clear, it accelerated to get to a safe distance away from _The Skullcrusher_ before it made the jump to hyperspace.

"Are the coordinates set in the Nava computer?" She asked Snotlout.

"Pft, of course, they are." He responded, but not before double checking and giving her a thumbs up.

"Alright, then let's get going." She said, before hitting a few buttons. Once the final one was pushed, she pulled back on a lever and the stars in front of them became a blur as they entered hyperspace.

* * *

A Star Destroyer cruised through space approaching the ruins of the fleet over Fondor. On the bridge stood an armored figure, watching the expanse of space in front of him through his dark helmet that covered his face. One his back was a long cylinder with a half circle guard on one side of it.

"My Lord Inquisitor." He heard over his shoulder, looking over to see an Imperial officer in a green uniform and cap walking up to him. "We just received a report from Imperial Intelligence. There appear to be unconfirmed reports of Jedi activity on Tatooine."

The Inquisitor looked out the window in thought for a moment, "Set course for Tatooine captain." He said after a moment of silence. The captain nodded and relayed his orders, leaving the Inquisitor to his thoughts at the prospects of finding another Jedi. It had been too long since he had a Jedi actually challenge him.

* * *

 _The Deadly Nadder_ dropped out of Hyperspace to be greeted by the desert world of Tatooine and its twin suns. From orbit, the light yellows and dark browns on the surface showed that this world was barren, but still, life found a way to survive on this world. Unlike most of the galaxy, this world was not controlled by the Empire, just like in the days of the Republic. It was controlled by the Hutt Families, making it a cesspit for crime. There was never a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.

This was the perfect place for a Jedi to hide.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Tatooine, where dreams come to die," Snotlout called out, drawing the attention of everyone in the cockpit. He heard enough about Tatooine from the mission briefing to believe this assumption was true.

"Snotlout, can you focus and be quiet for just five minutes?" Astrid asked with an irritated tone. Snotlout looked like he was about to respond, but Astrid's glare shut him up. "Fishlegs, where to next?" Astrid asked once her mind was back on task.

Fishlegs stuttered for a moment and nearly dropped his datapad, but he collected himself and answered the question, "Well we don't know any specific place the Jedi could be, but I calculate an eighty-one percent chance that we may find information about them in Mos Eisley Spaceport. It's documented to be the largest settlement on the planet and is often called, and I quote, "The Armpit of the Galaxy."

"The Armpit of the Galaxy?" Tuffnut asked, "So it smells like Ruffnut?" He continued with a smile and a laugh, pointing to his joke's target. Ruffnut did not take kind to this as she leaped at him and tackled him to the ground, starting one of their brawls that was an everyday occurrence.

Heather let out an irritated sigh and walked over, picking the two off the floor and separating them, "Will you two knock it off? You can get back to trying to kill each other later." She stated in a tone that left no room for argument. The twins nodded and she walked away, but not without Ruffnut punching her male counterpart in the face when Heather's back was turned. If she knew this happened, she didn't let anyone know as she simply went to her seat to help Astrid land the ship in the approaching spaceport.

Within minutes, _The Deadly Nadder_ had set down in one of the spaceport's open roofed hangers and the gang was waiting outside the boarding ramp, the twin suns were hanging low in the evening sky. All of the buildings had the same look with a sandstone look, the only exception were the Moisture Vaporators doting the settlement. Astrid was finishing up securing _The Deadly Nadder_ , making sure no one would steal her when left unattended. Once they were done, they headed to the beast place to find information on a planet like this; the local cantina.

* * *

The smell of alcohol and smoke entered their noses once they entered the building. The six Berkians looked around to see all kinds of species from across the galaxy here. Everything from your typical humans to local Jawas, all the way to include Duros, Trandosians, Talz, Devaronians, and so much more. While they had were accustomed to other alien species in their time with the Rebel Alliance, they had never seen such a variety of species in one place.

Heather and Astrid made their way to the bar as the rest of the gang began to disperse among the crowd, although Heather noted that Fishlegs stayed near the entrance. She didn't blame him, this place looked as seedy as cantinas could get. She looked around to see the crowd was regarding their new guests; some with a brief curiosity, others regarded their existence before returning to their current activities, and a few seem to have some kind of malicious intent in their eyes. She walked by a table with some card players and saw that they were making obscene gestures her way and catcalling her. She responded to this with a threatening glare and a hand on her pistol, slightly pulling it out of its holster. The players got the message as they went back to their card game, but one gave her a sly wink. To think that she thought Snotlout's flirting was bad, but at least he didn't cross the line.

She stepped up to the bar, listening to the Bith band playing a catchy tune that was going to be stuck in her head for hours after this. "So, what can I get you ladies tonight?" The bartender, a human in his fifties, asked them.

"Corellian Ale for both of us," Astrid answered for them, it being their favorite drink aside from the Berkian Mead they grew up on. The bartender got them each a glass and served it to them. They each had grabbed their own glass and took a sip, the sweet flavor rolling over their tongues.

"Anything else I can do for you tonight?" The bartender asked, wanting to make sure his new customers were satisfied before moving on.

"Yes, you can." Astrid answered confidently, "You can get us information."

"What kind of information? Tatooine is a big place." The Bartender answered.

"About a Jedi, we heard rumors about one here," Astrid whispered, making sure the other patrons couldn't hear them.

"Well, then you're out of luck. There aren't any Jedi around anymore." The bartender replied casually like it was a trivial idea. "Take my advice; forget about it. All you'll find out here is sand and death, sweetheart." He finished.

Astrid was about to pound him for calling her sweetheart, but a hand on her shoulder from Astrid stopped her from causing a scene. Heather knew that getting information was going to be tricky, but she had a feeling that this man wasn't being entirely honest with them. She reached into her pocket and pulled out some credit chips, number a total of three hundred credits, and placed them in front of the bartender.

"Does this help jog your memory?" She asked, knowing her answer when she saw the man's face light up as he looked as his new profits.

"Yes, it does." He answered as he pocketed the credits, "But it's not much, though."

"Well, what do you know?" Astrid asked impatiently.

"Eh not much, just some stories of stuff floating when it shouldn't, a person being where they shouldn't be and no seems to see him." He started to list off, the girls leaning in with every word spoken, "The best lead I can give you is that a hermit lives at the edge of the Jundland Wastes, west of here."

This had to be it, "What do you know of this hermit?" Heather asked, excitement filling her veins that this might be their man.

"Not much I'm afraid." He started, scratching the back of his head awkwardly, "He showed up a few years ago. He sticks to himself. Even the Sand People leave him alone, he could be dangerous."

"That's perfect for us," Astrid spoke up, smiling at the lead they just gained. She grabbed her near-empty drink and downed the rest of it in one gulp. "Thanks for your help." She said, grabbing Heather's hand, ready to head out.

"I wouldn't go tonight if I were you." The bartender warned, the two stopping in their tracks at the warning. "Tusken Raiders, or Sand People if you prefer that term, attacks have the highest risk of happening at night. Your best bet is to wait until morning before you head out. I can offer you a few rooms tonight if you need." He finished.

Astrid and Heather looked at each other and realized he was right, they would have to wait until morning. They went into the crowd to find the rest of the gang and tell them the new by this time tomorrow, they would be leaving this planet with a Jedi in tow.

* * *

In the space above Tatooine, a Star destroyer jumped out of hyperspace. The armored figure looked at the dust bowl planet in front of him with disinterest. Its people meant nothing to him, save one. The Jedi who was on the planet, he could sense him.

"My Lord Inquisitor, we've begun the preparations for our landing." The captains said next to him on his left, "You're shuttle is waiting for you."

The Inquisitor nodded and left for the hanger withpurpose in his stride. The hunt has begun.

* * *

Two landspeeders flew across the landscape heading west to their destination. The gang had gotten up early and rented two land speeders from a local rental shop. The speeders had four seats in each one and a glass visor to protect the passengers. Astrid, Heather, and Fishlegs were in one speeder. Snotlout and the twins were in the other, sailing over the ground to the left of Astrid's speeder.

Fishlegs was squirming in the back seat with excitement, "Can you believe it? We might actually meet a real live Jedi today."

"We know Fishlegs, we heard you the first thousand times you said that," Snotlout yelled from his landspeeder, getting increasingly annoyed at Fishlegs's over excitement.

"I'm sorry." Fishlegs apologized sheepishly, "I'm just excited. I'm so excited I forgot to eat third breakfast this morning."

Astrid and Heather looked at him for a moment, but dismissed him and looked ahead. The Jundland Wastes were up ahead, and hopefully, a Jedi was inside. Unknown to them, is that they were being watched by unfriendly eyes. On top of a ridge was a group of Tusken Raiders, their light clothing let them blend in with their surroundings, and their wrapped heads with goggles over their eyes, a breath mask over the mouth, and spikes coming out of their wrappings gave them a fierce look. One of them raised a long-barreled rifle and took aim, but one of the Raiders to his right tapped his shoulder and told him otherwise, using their language of grunts and growls to convey the message. The group moved from their perch and headed to their bantha mounts, the large, hairy, horned creatures moved slowly through the valley.

Heather noticed a sensor beeping in the speeder from the passenger seat. There were life signs ahead. "Astrid stop!" She called out. Astrid did as she was told and brought the speeder to a halt in the canon, Snotlout following suit.

"What is it?" Astrid asked, interested in what was so important for them to stop.

"The sensors indicate that there are at least a dozen life forms up ahead," Heather answered.

Astrid's response was quick, "Take Snotlout and scout ahead, we'll be right behind you." She ordered, jumping out of the speeder and grabbing her weapons. Heather did the same, grabbing her blaster pistol and axe, and ran ahead, Snotlout not far behind her.

The pair found a rock formation above the ground to take their positions on, Heather pulled out her macrobinoculars and looked ahead. She saw something up ahead, they looked like giant rams, only with thicker bodies and no visible neck. "There are a couple of creatures down there, must be banthas." She muttered. "I don't see anything else. Snotlout, do you see anything?" She asked before looking over to Snotlout on her right, only to be greeted by him giving her another one of those looks.

"Only the two most beautiful eyes I've ever seen." He responded, trying to sound smooth.

"Snotlout, whatever the sensors picked up is down there!" She said pointing to the banthas, getting irritated that he chose now to flirt with her again.

"But you're up here." He responded, "Face it, Heather, we've been doing this dance for too long now."

"What dance?" Heather asked.

"Just you and me, facing danger on a regular basis." Snotlout began, "It's bound to bring us together at some point."

Heather was about to retort, but something in her macrobinoculars caught her attention. She could see a figure walking in front of the banthas. "Snotlout, I see someone down there." She called out, hoping he would take this seriously.

"Pft, whatever it is, Snotlout can handle it." Snotlout boasted, puffing his chest and pounding on it with a fist for emphasis. Suddenly, one of the Tusken Raiders appeared in front of them, waving a gaffi stick over his head. Snotlout screamed and backed up in surprise while trying to pull his gun out, but lost his footing and fell back, losing consciousness when he hit the back of his head on the ground. Heather tried to pull her axe out, but the attacker used the clubbed end of his gaffi stick to knock it out of her hand, then hit her in the chest, knocking her to the ground. The attacker used the spiked end with four sharpened flanges to try and bash Heather's head in, but Heather dodged the strikes. The attacker raised his staff over his head and shook it up and down, screeching the entire time.

The screeches echoed throughout the valleys and canyons, reaching all the way to where Astrid and the rest of the gang was. Unaware of what they were facing, Astrid had chosen to take cover in a shallow cave, the shadows hiding them from whatever the unknown danger was. The danger revealed itself when a dozen Tusken Raiders walked in front of the gang's hiding place, with an unconscious Heather and Snotlout with them. They threw their unconscious captives on the ground, several of them were inspecting their captive's weapons while the rest went to rummage through the landspeeders. Astrid took up her rifle and aimed down the sight. It was risky, but she had the element of surprise on her side. The others readied their weapons, ready for the signal to save their friends.

But it never came.

Instead, a loud roar echoed throughout the canyon, the gang covering their ears from the sound. The Raiders scattered in terror the moment they heard it. The gang waited for a moment, torn between rushing out and getting their friends, or holding back in case there was another, even worse, and unknown threat out there waiting for them to emerge. They were not expecting a humanoid figure to descend from the top of the canyon. The figure made his way to the ground and Astrid got a good look at him. He was wearing a white shirt, tan pants and boots, and a helmet, mask, and visor that covered his face. He was holding a hunting rifle in his hands, its long barrel and scope a mark of its purpose, and had a blaster pistol in a holster on his right hip.

The figure approached and kneeled next to Snotlout's unconscious form. Astrid had her rifle trained on him in case he was going to try something, but he didn't it. He simply checked Snotlout's vitals to make sure he was alive. Once he was satisfied, he moved on to Heather. Astrid kept watch on him and noticed he was being more thoughtful with Heather, putting his rifle down so he could examine her with two hands. He seemed to be looking at a spot on her head with great intent. Astrid's thoughts were interrupted when she heard a loud growl in the cave. She was expecting a creature to be with them but was greeted by Fishlegs's sheepish face.

"What?" He asked nervously and quietly, "That's what happens when I don't eat third breakfast."

Astrid let out a frustrated sigh and looked back outside, only to be greeted by the figure staring directly at their hiding spot. Astrid was about to move, but the man took his mask, helmet, and visor off, revealing a human face.

He then raised his hands up in a non-threatening manner, "It's OK, I don't mean any harm. You can come out now." He said in a very calm and diplomatic tone, very strange to see out here. Astrid decided to listen to his advice and emerged from her hiding spot, the others following suit. She noticed that Heather was beginning the stir as she made her way over, still on guard in case the man tried something.

Heather woke up to be greeted by a pounding in her head. When the pounding subsided, she was able to better observe her surroundings. She took note that the rest of the gang was here, Astrid as standing over her and the rest were attending to an awakening Snotlout, but she wasn't' expecting to see a stranger kneeling over her. She took note of his features; he had short, but messy, brown hair, fair skin that was slightly tanned due to exposure to the twin suns of Tatooine, deep blue eyes, and a scar that ran down the right side of his face that ran from the top of the eyebrow to the middle of his check. He appeared to be twenty-four years of age, two years older than herself.

"You OK?" She heard him ask, to which she responded with a nod. "The Jundland Wastes are not to be traveled lightly, and its inhabitants are not to be underestimated." He offered in advice as she let him up.

Once she was on her feet, Astrid approached him, "Who are you, and how did you scare those things off?" She asked immediately.

"I'm Hammond." He started, "And I scared those Sand People away with an audio synthesizer." He continued, pulling out a silver device from his pocket. "I have the sound of a Krayt Dragon roar recorded on this, it scares Sand People away every time, so long as they don't know you're there." He finished, playing a quieter version of the roar to confirm it before putting it away.

"Well thank you." Heather offered as the rest of the gang came up to meet him. "This is Astrid Hofferson, Fishlegs Ingerman, Snotlout Jorgenson, and Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorston." She said, pointing to each member of the gang as she said their name, "And I'm Heather." She finished, pointing to herself.

"Charmed," Hammond responded, offering his hand out. Heather took it and shook it, but felt strange when she grasped his hand. She couldn't explain it, but it was a funny feeling she never felt before. If Hammond had felt the same thing, he didn't let anyone know.

Their moment was interrupted by the distant scream of a Tusken Raiser, "We need to find shelter. Sand People are easily spook, but they always return in greater numbers." Hammond warned them, "My homes not far from her. We can take shelter there, and we can properly treat Heather's head," He finished, pointing to Heather's head.

Heather reached up to the spot he pointed at and confirmed that she was bleeding from there, the spot where the Tusken Raider hit her that rendered her unconscious. Nothing too serious, but it could get infected if it wasn't treated properly.

"Alright, we'll take the landspeeders and you can guide us to your home," Astrid said. The gang back went to their landspeeders, Hammond following Heather, and they set off for Hammond's home.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Please leave any constructive criticisms in your reviews, and I hope you have enjoyed this chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3- Hope is Alive

Chapter 3- Hope is Alive

* * *

The landspeeders pulled up to Hammond's home, a small dome building built against the side of a mountain. "You can park your landspeeders right there," Hammond says as he got out of the speeder, pointing to a spot next to his home. "You'll want to lock it down, though." He warned.

"Why would we need to do that?" Snotlout asked.

"Jawas will steal it if you don't." He responded, "Those pests stole a speeder bike from me and tried to sell it back to me at twice the price I bought it for."

"Did you report it to authorities?" Fishlegs asked.

"You're on Tatooine, there are no authorities here. Well besides the Hutts, but you can never trust a Hutt." Hammond said, entering the code into a keypad next to the door. Once the door opened, a little droid shot out from the door. The droid had a basic design, its main body was a sphere covered in orange markings and it had a dome head on top, the dome head stayed upright as its spherical body rolled over the ground as it moved. The little droid rolled up to Hammond's legs, its head reaching up to his knees, and began to chirp excitedly about his return.

"Well, I had to check one of my sensors that went off BB-12, make sure it wasn't faulty." He responded to whatever the droid said, the droid continued beeping at him. "I told you I wasn't going to be long."

BB-12 seemed to accept this, then noticed that Hammond wasn't alone as tilted his head to the side to see his new companions. He looked back to Hammond and began to beep and chirp in excitement. "Oh, that's right." Hammond said remembering he had company, "Everyone, this is my closest friend; BB-12. BB-12, this Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Tuffnut, Ruffnut, and Heather." Hammond stated, pointing to each member of the gang when he said their name.

"He's kind of cute for a droid," Heather said. BB-12 clearly heard this and went up to Heather's leg, and let out a series of chirp about Heather comment.

"Well, you just became best friends with him," Hammond commented, an amused smile on his face. Heather could help but smile at the droid's antics, finding it to be charming. She kneeled down and gave him an affectionate pat on the head, BB-12 letting off more beeps and chirps.

"The thing looks stupid," Snotlout whispered to Tuffnut. BB-12 clearly heard this as he rolled up to him, letting off a string of angry chirps. "Aw, did I hurt your little droid feelings?" Snotlout cooed like he was talking to a crying child. BB-12's response was to bring out an arm from his body. Electricity sparked from the arm and hit Snotlout in the face. Snotlout fell back on the ground and clutched his face in pain. BB-12 continued his electric assault by shocking Snotlout in the thigh, encouraged by the twin's laughter.

"And you just earned an enemy for life." Hammond said, "Remember this; left alone, droids will never forget anything." BB-12 seemed to back this up by pulling out his blowtorch arm and sticking the torch up in the air, imitating an obscene gesture he had seen sentient lifeforms use.

With that little dispute settled, Hammond led them into his home. To their surprise, it was actually built inside the mountain, the building outside was just the entrance. Once they were inside, Hammond locked the door behind them and led them down a sloped hall into a living room. There was enough room for everyone to have a seat on various couches and chairs in the room. There was a counter that separated the living room from the kitchen, and several doors that lead to the other rooms in the house. Hammond went to the kitchen to grab a bowl of water, disinfectant, a towel, and a bacta patch. Once he had everything, he came back in and sat down next to Heather and began to clean the wound on her head.

"So, what are a bunch of Berkians doing on Tatooine?" Hammond asked in the middle of his task.

That caught the gang off guard, "How do you know what planet we're from?" Astrid asked him suspiciously.

"You don't walk around with weapons like that," He respond, pointing to her axe, "Unless you're trying to prove something, or you come from a warrior culture, and you don't look like Mandalorians to me." He finished, grabbing a bacta patch to put on Heather's cleaned wound. The bacta in the patch would have the cut closed up and healed within hours.

"How do you know about Berk?" Heather asked.

"I was a… spacer for years, I saw a lot of the galaxy during that time." He said, pausing for a moment to find another title for his previous occupation, one that no one could know.

"Did you go to Berk in that time?" Heather asked, not thinking too much on his pause.

"No, I just met a few in spaceports and such." He responded.

"If you were a spacer, what are you doing on a dust bowl planet like this?" Snotlout asked.

"BB-12 and I crashed. We couldn't get off the planet, so we just settled down." He stated, trying to sound casual about it. "But back to my previous questions; what are you doing out here?" He asked, trying to direct the conversation away from him.

Astrid thought about that for a moment, their mission needed to be a secret. Although no one told the twins that, "We're on a secret mission for the Rebel Alliance." Tuffnut stated proudly, his sister nodding when he said that. They were met by the glares of the gang, and Hammond's confused look.

"What? Is that not why we're here?" Ruffnut asked.

"You clearly don't know what 'secret' means," Heather said, irritation apparent in her voice.

"Yes, we do." Tuffnut defended.

"Secret means that something is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others," Ruffnut stated, giving the gang a smug look.

"And you don't go around telling it to people we just meet." Fishlegs said, the twins faces falling when they realized he was right.

"Uh, forgive my ignorance, but what is the Rebel Alliance?" Hammond asked in complete confusion about the situation.

Astrid decided to answer, seeing as the twins gave out they were here, "The Rebel Alliance is a group of freedom fighters from across the galaxy fighting the Empire. We've been small for the past two years, but we just scored a major victory against the Empire by destroying their space station at the Fondor Shipyards, stopping all ship production there."

Hammond sat there to process the information given to him, "That's… actually impressive, and very brave of you." He said, finally finding the words. "So what is this 'secret' mission you're here on Tatooine for?" He asked, curious as to that Tatooine had to offer this Rebel Alliance.

Everyone shared a look with each other, debating if they should tell him. He had to be the hermit they hear about, and could possibly be their Jedi they were looking for. Telling him why they were there could have dire consequences, but just like Stoick said, everything they did from this point on was going to be risky.

"We're looking for a Jedi, and we heard there was one on Tatooine," Heather stated, keeping it short and to the point.

Hammond's response was unreadable. He sat back in his seat as he processed the information. "And what makes you think there is a Jedi on Tatooine?" He asked cautiously.

"Rumors mostly, from our agents and the locals," Snotlout replied for them.

"Chasing rumors is always a waste of time, believe me," Hammond said, standing up and taking the bowl and towel back to the kitchen. "My word of advice: The Jedi are gone. You're wasting you out here." He advised as he was cleaning the bowl in the kitchen, not hiding the blunt nature of his advice.

"And what makes you think that?" Astrid challenged, standing up and moving to the other side of the counter.

Hammond was in thought for a moment, Heather could see that he was going through various emotions. She could not tell what all of them were, but she could have sworn she saw shame on his face. "If the Jedi were able to help, they probably would have already." Was his response.

Astrid simply glared at him, he was hiding something. She just knew it. It was just a matter of bringing it out. She sat back down next to Fishlegs with a huff, causing him to scoot over nervously.

"If you want, you can stay here for a little bit until you decided to leave, sorry for giving your hopes up." Hammond offered apologetically.

"What about you?" Fishlegs asked.

"I'll probably just move on with my life, just like before you came here," Hammond responded, sounding rather depressed.

Astrid suddenly perked up, an idea coming to her head to find out what he was hiding. "How about you come with us?" She offered.

"What?" Hammond asked.

"You can come with us, join the Rebel Alliance." She elaborated, "Aren't you at least tired of staying on this planet?" She asked.

Hammond looked to BB-12, who looked up and beeped in response. "You have a point there, I'll have to think about it," Hammond said quietly. With that settled, Astrid and Fishlegs began looking at the maps of the local area, putting up the front they would continue looking for the Jedi on the planet. Hammond had walked over to where the twins and Snotlout were, who had just found and activated his Dejarik table, the holomonsters that were the pieces awaited their orders for the game to begin.

While Heather was deep in her own thoughts, she heard something. It sounded like a quiet whistling coming from one of the other rooms. She looked to see that no one else had heard it, they were too wrapped up in their own activities, so she decided to investigate. She walked into one of the rooms unnoticed, closing the door behind her. She was in what looked like a workroom, there was a workbench with several tools lying around. She heard the whistling noise coming from a drawer at the bottom of a toolbox. There were parts laying around that appeared to be in the places they were meant to be when assembled. The most prominent piece that stood out was a blue crystal. The moment she picked it up, it felt strange, warm and full of energy.

She pulled out all the parts and placed them in the order she found them in. Once on the table, she examined each piece. There were power cells, protective plating, and some kind of focus lens. She tried to put it together, but nothing worked. Nothing seemed to want to go together, and she couldn't see any tools that would help. Frustrated with her lack of progress, she put the pieces down and slide down the wall behind her until she was in a sitting position. She didn't understand, she saw how the pieces go together, but for some reason, they wouldn't. She closed her eyes and imagined all the pieces going together in her mind, the crystal above the power cell, the lens over it, and the protective plating placed around it. After a minute, she heard the whistling noise again and opened her eyes.

Where the pieces once were was something that looked like a large code cylinder. It was a long and silver, but there was a rectangular piece that stuck out a few inches at the halfway point, and what looked like a button above it. The top end, or what she believed to be the top, was open and a slight piece stuck out and narrowed to a rounded point forming some kind of guard. She found what she thought was the activation button, and in her curiosity, activated it. To her surprise, a blue beam shot out with a snap-hiss, about three feet in length, and it settled with a continuous hum. She recoiled in shock for a moment, but recovered quickly and began to admire the blade. She waved it around for a bit and heard the humming noise that would change in pitch as she moved it around. After a moment, it finally dawned on her what she was holding.

She was holding a lightsaber.

That could only mean one of two things. The first is that Hammond took this from a Jedi. The other option, and in her opinion the most likely to be true, was that Hammond is a Jedi.

She was so focused on this revelation that she didn't notice the room around her change. She hit the button again and the blade retracted with a snap-hiss. It was then that her eyes finally saw the new state of the world around her. Everything was a blur, she had no idea where she was. Suddenly, a blurred figure holding a green lightsaber ran up to her. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but it looked like they were telling her to run. Whatever they said as they were interrupted by a blue blade erupting from their chest. The figure wielding the blue blade was cloaked in shadow, a hood over their face. The figure then engaged with another figure who was wielding a green lightsaber. The figure with the green lightsaber went for an attack, but the figure with the blue blade ducked under it and sliced his left leg off below the knee, earning a loud scream.

The environment changed again, this time, it appear to be an attack. She could see figures with lightsaber deflect blaster fire from what looked like Stormtroopers, but their armor was different. She could see the hooded figure again, he was leading the attack and cutting down any other figure wielding a lightsaber. The hooded figure suddenly looked her direction, and Heather felt a wave of fear she had never felt before. She began to run, to where she had no idea, she just had to get away. She found herself running down a hallway when the hooded figure appeared from behind a pillar. The figure started to walk towards her, as he did, his form changed. His dark robes were replaced with a grey set of armor with knee-high armored boots, a thick belt with gadgets on it, a control box on his chest that controlled the environmental settings on his suit, shoulder pads that kept his cape on, a collar to protect his neck, and a helmet the was domed on the top and splayed out over the ears, the eyes had T-shaped eyepieces over them that glowed red, and the mouthpiece looked like it was locked in a scream, sharing the red glow of the eyes. The lightsaber changed as well, changing from an elegant hilt and blue blade to a hilt with two bloodstained blades parallel to each other acting as an emitter guard and a red blade. Heather froze in fear at the sight of this imposing figure as she felt an unnatural cold feeling overwhelm her and began to back away, but tripped on something and fell back.

When she hit the ground, she found that she was back in Hammond's workroom, the lightsaber falling a few feet in front of her. She sat there, breathing heavily as she tried to collect her thoughts. What was that she just saw? Why did she see it? How did she see it? These were all the questions going through her head. She was taken out of her thoughts when she heard the door open and saw Hammond walk in, closing the door as he did.

"Oh, there you are Heather." He said walking in, a warm smile on his face. "Didn't your parents tell you it's rude to go through people's stuff without their permission?" He asked in an amused tone. "You never know what you may…find." He started, but his voice fell and wavered when he saw the lightsaber on the ground.

He let out a soft gasp and stepped back in shock. Heather was expecting him to yell or something, but she was met with a shocked silence. Hammond just looked at the lightsaber on the ground, amazed to see it complete. Heather watched him as he held his right hand out in front of him, his palm directly over the lightsaber. She saw him close his eyes in concentration. Confusion covered her face, what was he trying to do? She got her answer when the lightsaber started to shake, and Hammond's face scrunched up as he increased his concentration. Unfortunately, it didn't last as he gave up after a minute and decided to kneel down and pick it up by hand instead. He inspected the hilt in his hand, nostalgic memories filling his head from the last time he held it.

After a moment, he stood back up and turned his attention to Heather, who was still on the ground, "How did you rebuild this?" He asked, trying to remain calm.

"I…I don't know." She stuttered, suddenly nervous at the fact there was a Jedi in front of her. "I tried to put it together but failed. When I sat down, I imagined it being built and it was just there when I opened my eyes." Heather finished, unsure of what happened at that time.

Hammond stood there in silence, thinking about what he just heard, but he wasn't able to think on it long before he heard Heather say, "You're a Jedi."

She said that as she was standing up, inspecting him with her eyes as she did. He was about six feet two inches tall and had an athletic form, not muscular like Snotlout, but he wasn't a thin string bean either. He had to be a Jedi, no spacer or hermit could be built like him.

But to her surprise, and disappointment, Hammond sagged his shoulders and let his hands fall to the side, "No, I'm not a Jedi." He muttered with sorrow and guilt laced in his voice.

She wasn't expecting that kind of response, "What, how can you say that?" She accused.

"Because the Jedi Order is gone, we failed, I failed." He lamented, looking down in shame, not even bothering to deny it anymore.

"So your response was to go into hiding?" She continued.

"What else was I supposed to do?" He responded with a question of his own, "I lost everything in one day; my friends, my master who was like a mother to me, everything I had ever known, gone, just like that." He continued, taking a moment to catch his breath. "I couldn't do anything, all I could do was hide, or I would have put other people in danger if I was discovered, which is why you should go."

"What? We can't just go, we need you." She responded in shock.

"No, you don't." He began, "It's obvious you're doing fine against the Empire so far. One Ex-Jedi won't do you any good. If anything, I'll just put you in even more danger with my presence." He finished explaining.

"Hammond, anything we do from this point onwards is dangerous." She started, trying to be gentle with her tone, getting angry at him wouldn't help her. She understood his reasons for hiding. "We just spit in the Empire's face at Fondor, they'll be coming for us with a vengeance now. If you want to protect people, you'll help us." She implored him, "And who knows? Maybe you'll find other Jedi who are still alive out there."

Hammond was silent as he pondered that idea. On one hand, she made a good point. If he was to join them, he would be protecting and help more people than just hiding out on this desert planet. On the other hand, his joining them could draw unknown dangers to them. After a moment with his thoughts, he made his decision.

"Alright, I'll come with you." He said. Heather was about to speak, but was interrupted, "On one condition; I'll reveal myself as a Jedi to them when I'm ready. Deal?" He stated, holding his hand out.

"Deal," Heather responded enthusiastically, shaking his hand to make the deal final. Once that was done, Hammond placed his lightsaber into a pouch that was on his belt over his left hip. The moment he closed the pouch, Astrid entered the room.

"We'll be heading out soon." She said, "We're going to head back to the ship and plan our next move from there."

"And we'll be taking an extra with us," Heather added, earning a confused look from Astrid.

"What do you mean?" Astrid asked.

"I'm coming with you, so will BB-12," Hammond answered.

"Why do you want to come with us now? You were pretty hesitant earlier." Astrid asked, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.

"You can thank Heather for that." He started, pointing at Heather when he said her name. "I found her in here, she was curious if I was working on anything. We got talking and she convinced me to join you. You guys are fighting the good fight after all, and it gets me off this sand pit." He continued with a lie but added the last fact in to cover it up.

Astrid didn't entirely believe him, but a look from Heather told her to go with it. She had a look that Astrid had recognized instantly. Heather had a plan, and it was sometimes best to see them play out.

"Alright then, we'll be heading back to Mos Eisley within the hour. Get what you need before then." She responded, leaving him and Heather alone in the room.

Once she was gone, Heather patted Hammond on the shoulder, "Don't worry, your secrets safe with me." She reassured him, "But just to let you know, nothing gets by her for long. She finds things out eventually." She warned him.

"Thanks for the heads up." He responded, "And I will tell them when the time is right. I promise you."

* * *

Astrid and the gang were walking through the streets of Mos Eisley, with Hammond in tow. The announcement was made after Heather and Hammond came out of the workroom. Fishlegs and the twins were OK with him coming along, but Snotlout raised some objections, saying that they had just met ham so he couldn't be trusted. This objection was overruled by the rest of the gang, and the threat of BB-12's electro arm shut him up when he tried to protest. Hammond had grabbed only basic stuff that he needed, and a few personal things that had sentimental value. Once that was done, they returned to Mos Eisley.

Astrid was leading the group as they made their way to the hanger with _The Deadly Nadder_ in it. Hammond was walking next to Fishlegs, who was curious about the things Hammond had seen in his travels. Hammond seems happy to as he was recounting one of his stories from Kalee, the home world of the Kaleesh.

"So this Kaleesh warrior decided to challenge their war leader of his tribe." Hammond said as he told the tale, "So he gathered up Kaleesh weapons, threw them on the ground in this sacred area, and challenged the War leader."

"Why would did he do all that stuff?" Snotlout asked, "Seems kind of pointless."

"In Kaleesh culture, that's how you issue a challenge," Hammond answered before continuing on. "So anyway, the war leader accepted the challenge and they fought to the death."

"Who won?" Fishlegs asked, taking up every detail with excitement. He loves to learn, especially about new cultures.

"The challenger won, and it was not a pretty victory," Hammond answered, not wanting to recount the gory details of that fight.

"I bet we would have loved to have seen it," Ruffnut said, thinking this Kaleesh sounded awesome.

"We should go visit them sometime," Tuffnut said, interested in the violent culture of the Kaleesh.

"I bet I would have won that challenge." Snotlout boasted, trying to one up Hammond's story.

"Have you even met a Kaleesh?" Heather challenged, no one needed Snotlout's boasting right now.

"I don't need to see it to know I can beat it, trust me babe." Snotlout flirted. Heather looked like she was going to vomit, but Hammond stepped in.

"You wouldn't last thirty seconds against a Kaleesh warrior, trust me on that Snotlout." He warned Snotlout, not liking how he was making Heather uncomfortable.

"And how would you know that?" Snotlout threatened, not liking how Hammond was undermining him already.

"Personal experience," Hammond responded, tracing the scar on the right side of his face with two fingers on his left hand, making the origin of the scar known.

It looked like Snotlout was about to start a fight, but Astrid stepped in, "OK, break it up you two. I don't need two kath hounds fighting to be top dog." She warned, sending both of them a glare.

"I'll agree to that," Hammond responded casually like nothing was wrong. With that out of the way, the gang continued on their path to the hanger.

This time around, Hammond was deep in thought about what happened at his home, about Heather and his lightsaber. His lightsaber had been damaged when he arrived on the planet. He had everything ready to fix it, all the proper parts, but he couldn't find the peace in the Force to do it. Then Heather walks in and rebuilds it like nothing happened. His thoughts about how this could happen were going through his head, and he thought back to when he met her. He could sense something about her, he knew the moment he laid eyes on her, and the moment their hands touched, and now this. He was going to have to investigate this later, for now, he would just have to wait and see.

The gang had just made their way into the hanger, but they were not prepared for who was waiting for them.

Standing in front of _The Deadly Nadder_ was an armored figure. He was looking in their direction and had his hands behind his back like he was expecting them. They all stopped as Astrid took in this unknown person. She could tell it was a male humanoid, taller with a bigger build than the rest of them. He was wearing a gray under armor shirt and pants, black armor on his shoulders and hips, armored gauntlets and boots of the same color, and a helmet that kept his features hidden.

"Ah, I was wondering when you would arrive." The figure said, his voice taking a mechanical tone due to the helmet.

"Who are you?" Astrid asked, keeping her hands ready to grab her blaster rifle, just in case. The rest of the gang was following suit except for Hammond, who was just frozen in place.

"My name is Ryker, and I am one of the Empire's Inquisitors." The figure, now identified as Ryker, responded, his voice filled with overconfidence.

"Uh, an Inquis-what?" Tuffnut asked, confused by the man's fancy title.

"An Inquisitor, and I hunt Jedi," Ryker responded, his overconfidence making Snotlout look humble.

"Then why are on a dust bowl like Tatooine? There are no Jedi here." Ruffnut asked.

"Because I know there is a Jedi on Tatooine," Ryker answered. He could sense the Jedi from orbit, but he couldn't sense where they were at exactly on the planet's surface. His senses weren't as sharp as the Grand Inquisitor's.

Heather's eyes looked over to Hammond, who had a panicked look on his face for a split second.

"Where's the Jedi? I know you're here for him." Ryker asked, his hands now clenched in fists at his sides.

"How do you even know we're here for a Jedi?" Heather asked in return.

"A band of Rebels has nothing better to do on this planet, and the bartender was more than willing to talk," Ryker said menacingly. "So I'll ask again; where's the Jedi?"

"We don't know," Astrid said, not like she would tell him anyway if she knew.

"Do you take me for some fool girl?" Ryker yelled in response. "I can sense the Jedi on this planet, they're somewhere here alright." He continued, stepping towards them, "So where are they?"

"We already told you, we don't know?" Fishlegs stammered in fear.

Ryker sighed, "You really don't know where the Jedi is, do you?" He asked.

"No, we don't," Heather answered, a hand on her blaster.

Ryker was in thought for a moment, but came to a decision, "That's a shame, but I know the best way to draw out a Jedi." He stated, grabbing his lightsaber that was on his back, its long black hilt and half-circle guard a stark contrast to the pale environment. He activated it as he pulled it out, producing a red blade as it made a threatening snap-hiss.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Because I needed to leave you on a cliffhanger at some point.**

 **A few points that I saw in reviews I want to bring up real quick.**

 **Hammond is an OC, not Hiccup.**

 **Hiccup will not be a Sith, sorry Guest reviewer.**

 **There will be Hiccstrid people, eventually.**

 **Also, the figure in the vision is wearing Sith Champion Armor and uses Darth Malgus's Lightsaber from Star Wars: The Old Republic, just in case I didn't describe it properly.**

 **That is all.**

 **Please leave any constructive criticisms in your reviews, and I hope you have enjoyed this chapter.**


	4. Chapter 4- Return of the Jedi

Chapter 4- Return of the Jedi

* * *

The gang grabbed their blasters and opened fire at Ryker, who was deflecting it back with ease. The gang found cover behind what they could, Heather and Hammond taking cover behind crates near _The Deadly Nadder_.

"Hammond, we need you to be a Jedi right now," Heather said to him, making sure no one else heard him. Hammond looked like he was going to counter it, but he didn't have anything. He pulled the pouch from his belt as was ready to open it. Unknown to them, the twins threw grenades at Ryker, who used the Force to grab them out of the air and threw them to where Hammond and Heather were.

"Look out," Heather warned, grabbing Hammond and getting him away from the explosion. The two were knocked down from the shock. When they came to, Hammond realized he didn't have his pouch anymore and he couldn't find it. With no time to spare, the two found cover elsewhere. Astrid realized that this wasn't doing anything, she pulled out her vibro-axe and charged Ryker with a war cry. She went for an overhead swing, but Ryker blocked it with ease. Snotlout and Heather followed her example and pulled out their vibro-weapons and joined in the fight. Ryker looked like he wasn't even breaking a sweat as he blocked and parried each attack. Although at one point, Astrid got a lucky hit in with her axe and knocked Ryker's helmet off, revealing his bald head, mustache, goatee, and yellow glowing eyes; a sign of the Dark Side's corruption.

Meanwhile, Hammond had worked his way over to the other end of the hanger, occasionally firing a few shots at Ryker. Once he got his position, he finally saw the pouch at the other end of the hanger, of course, it would be. He tried to reach out with the Force and grab the lightsaber, but it wasn't working. He couldn't understand. For the past two years, he could use the Force to slow down falling objects that would have killed someone, or use the Force to disappear. Why couldn't he grab his lightsaber?

But he knew the answer, the memories he remembered from the last time he used it were too painful, the memory of his greatest failure. He was taken out of his thoughts when he heard Snotlout's yell. He looked up and saw that Snotlout was thrown back with the Force. Astrid and Heather remained, but Ryker dispatched them with ease. Astrid suffered Snotlout's fate and was thrown back with the force while Heather's axe was knocked out of her and she was kicked back. Fishlegs and the twins resumed their blaster fire at Ryker, but Ryker once again deflected it with ease. Ryker then lifted a couple of barrels behind them and sent it to them, knocking them to the ground and disarming them.

Hammond had stayed out of the fight for long enough, he opened fire at Ryker. Ryker just once again deflected it with ease. He redirected a blaster shot and it knocked Hammond's blaster out of his hand, making it useless. Ryker then grabbed him with the Force and pulled him towards him, clotheslining him in the chest once he was close enough. Hammond was knocked onto his back, the wind knocked out of him and his head ringing. He opened his eyes to see Ryker looming over him, ready to kill him with his lightsabers. Hammond closed his eyes, ready to become one with the Force.

But it wouldn't happen today.

Heather had got up and saw what was about to happen, and she wouldn't let it happen. "HAMMOND NO!" She screamed and reached out for him, but what happened next caught everyone off guard.

Ryker was suddenly knocked back like he was hit by an invisible Force. Everyone looked her direction as the truth dawned on Hammond. Heather had just used the Force, she was Force Sensitive.

Ryker stood up and looked at Heather, who was staring at her hands in shock just like the rest of the gang were, with a pleased look on his face. "Ah, the Jedi. I was wondering if I would find you." He said as he walked over to her. Hammond wasn't going to let him get close as he grabbed Snotlout's sword and charged at him. Ryker was unamused and just tossed him with the Force into the wall behind him, and continued his approach. Heather grabbed her axe and charged, but was kicked in the chest and knocked to the ground. She tried to get up but was stopped by a foot on her chest and lightsaber in her face.

"A shame you weren't the challenge I was hoping for," Ryker said, disappointment in his voice, as he looked down at her. He was about to kill her, but he was pulled back all of a sudden, his lightsaber flying from his hand. He got back up to see who did that. Suddenly, he noticed a pouch near the ship shaking. The shaking ceased as a lightsaber flew out of it and flew by his face, and landed in Hammond's outreached hand, his eyes closed in concentration. The entire hanger watched Hammond with silent awe as they realized that Hammond was the Jedi they were looking for.

Hammond opened his eyes, the shame, and fear he felt earlier today was gone. Instead of experiencing painful memories with the lightsaber in his hands, he remembered the oath he made so many years ago. An oath he swore he was never going to forget again, an oath he was acting upon today. Ryker reached out and called his lightsaber back to him, activating it once it was back in his hand. Hammond grabbed his lightsaber and held it out in front of him and activated it, being bathed in the blue light from the blade as he listened to the familiar hum he hadn't heard in years.

Ryker charged at him with a thrust, but Hammond parried it and stepped out of the way as Ryker shot past. Ryker turned around and continued his assault, trying to overpower Hammond with brutal attacks, but Hammond blocked and parried each attack with minimal effort. Ryker recognized the moves he was using, this had to be the Jedi he was looking for, and he was a knight at that. Finally, a challenge worthy of his time. Ryker broke off from an attack as he noticed the gang was getting up and preparing to join in, but he had a plan for that. He pushed a few buttons on his gauntlet and a hanger door opened, revealing several squads of Stormtroopers who were waiting for the signal to join in. They went after the gang, opening fire as the gang grabbed their weapons and fell back towards the ship, getting ready to make a quick escape.

"No one's going to help you." Ryker said to Hammond, 'It's just you and me now, Jedi."

Ryker resumed his assault, using a series of thrusts and slashes as his offensive. Hammond began to back up, but kept up his defense, blocking, parrying, and evading his blows. The two made their way to a construction elevator and Hammond slammed back into the controls, activating it and beginning its ascent, the Jedi, and Inquisitor continuing their fight the whole way up. Astrid and Fishlegs ran into the ship and headed for the cockpit with BB-12 in tow, the others were holding the boarding ramp. The ship began to lift off the ground as Astrid started it and took control.

"Astrid, we need to pick up Hammond," Heather exclaimed in her communicator.

"I know that, and we will. I saw where they went, we're fly low and pick him up." Astrid responded, piloting the ship to where they could all see that Hammond was locked in combat with Ryker.

Ryker and Hammond were in a saber lock, the two blades hissing as they made continuous contact. The lock was broken as Ryker used his left hand to punch Hammond square in the face. Hammond backed up and put a hand on his nose where the blow landed. He brought it back to see blood on it, and he could feel the blood leak from his nose. Looking back to Ryker, he was almost too late to block a thrust that would have killed him. He redirected it from his body, but the blade made contact with his upper arm, grazing the surface and causing him the grunt in pain. He was sloppy and out of practice, and Ryker knew it.

Hammond continued to back up as Ryker advanced. Ryker went for an attack and Hammond brought his lightsaber up horizontally to block it, ignoring the pain in his arm and the taste of blood leaking into his mouth. Hammond tried to hold his ground, but Ryker was pushing him towards the buildings edge. On the edge, he looked down to see the streets below them and looked back to see Ryker in front of him. Taking a risk, he closed his eyes and tried to center himself.

And he felt it.

Peace in the Force, a peace he hadn't felt in years.

Heather was watching from the boarding ramp and noticed this change in his face. His expression went from uncertain and full of doubt, to driven and full of determination once his eyes opened. Hammond looked back at Ryker with the same determination as Heather saw and broke the saber lock by pushing Ryker away to his left. Hammond then began his own offensive, using powerful, broad, but elegant slashes and strikes. Ryker was put on the defensive, bring his lightsaber up to deflect each blow. Hammond continued his attacks, eventually catching Ryker in the shoulder with a quick slash.

Ryker was momentarily distracted this injury and Hammond took advantage of his distraction and used both hands to prepare a Force wave. He thrust both hands forward and Ryker was thrown back. Hammond then ran to the boarding ramp and entered the ship. Once he was aboard, the ship blasted into the atmosphere, leaving Ryker on the roof. Ryker stood back up and watched as the ship left the atmosphere.

"The Grand Inquisitor will want to hear of this." He announced to no one in particular.

Astrid piloted the ship out of the atmosphere to be greeted with the sight of a lone Star Destroyer in orbit. The ship opened fire at them the moment they came into firing range. Astrid avoided the laser fire with ease and flew around the ship, jumping to hyperspace once they were clear.

"Whew, we made it." Fishlegs exhaled, wiping some sweat that was on his brow.

"Yeah, and now we have a Jedi," Astrid said, then remembered what happened back at Hammond's home and realizing he lied to them. "And he has a lot of questions to answer." She finished as she went to find Hammond. Fishlegs recognized the angered look on her face as she left. If he was lucky, Hammond wouldn't have any feeling in his arms for an hour after this.

She found Hammond in the medical bay on the lower section. He was being tended to by Heather with BB-12 looking on. Snotlout was leaning against the wall, failing to look uninterested in the fact that there was a Jedi in front of him. The twins were going over the battle in excitement.

"THAT WAS AWESOME!" They both yelled at the same time. Hammond just looked at them, wide-eyed at their over excitement.

"You were all like; shwoom, vroom, woom." Ruffnut described, trying to imitate the sounds of his lightsaber.

"Yeah, and Ryker was like; argh, ergh, grr," Tuffnut added, describing what Ryker was like during the fight.

"Uh, thanks?" Hammond offered in response, not use to the praise. Heather finished up the wrap on his arm and cleaning up the blood from his nose, giving him a clean bill of health. Hammond stood up but was greeted with a hard punch to his right shoulder, causing him to clutch it with his other hand and step back a bit.

"That was for the lies," Astrid said, point an index finger in accusation.

"Yeah, I deserved that," Hammond responded, surprised at how much power was in that punch.

"Why didn't you tell us you were a Jedi?" Snotlout asked.

"Not the easiest thing to start a conversation with. Like, 'Hi everyone! I just met you guys, oh and I happen to be a Jedi.' See what I mean?" Hammond responded. The rest of the gang looked at each other. His answer made sense, admitting you're a Jedi who's being hunted by the Empire to a group of strangers is not a smart move.

"But it doesn't matter, I'm here now thanks to Heather," Hammond spoke up, pointing to Heather when he said her name. Heather blushed for a moment and placed a stray piece of hair back in place when her name was called up, she didn't understand how he could do that to her.

"Speaking of which, why didn't you tell us you're a Jedi Heather?" Tuffnut asked.

"Yeah, that was totally awesome when you knocked Ryker over." Ruffnut joined in.

Heather was in silence as everyone's eyes looked to her, "Uh, I'm not. I didn't know I could do that." Heather said, feeling awkward all of a sudden.

Hammond looked to be in thought for a moment, "Heather, How did you say you rebuilt my lightsaber?" He asked her.

"I tried to rebuild it by hand, when I failed I closed my eyes and imagined it being rebuilt. Then I opened my eyes and it was rebuilt." She answered, the rest of the gang listening intently.

"Anything else happen?" Hammond asked.

"Well when I was messing with it, I got this…vison," Heather said, trying not to sound crazy.

"Ha, what a load of nonsense." Snotlout blurted out, only to earn a hard punch from Astrid.

"What happened during this vision?" Hammond asked in curiosity.

"I couldn't tell. Everything was a blur, but it looked like Jedi were fighting." She answered the best she could.

"Then this confirms my suspicions. Heather, you're Force Sensitive." Hammond concluded, only to be met by the confused looks from the others.

"Uh, what is a Force Sensitive?" Fishlegs asked.

"Force Sensitives are individuals outside of The Jedi Order who have the potential to use the Force," Hammond answered, but Snotlout and the twins were still confused about it.

"So you're saying that Heather could become a Jedi?" Astrid asked, this revelation causing her to second guess everything she knew of her best friend.

"Possibly, but we'll have to see what you're leaders make of this," Hammond said.

"So you're still coming with us?" Astrid asked, shocked by how accepting Hammond was of everything that has happened to him today.

"I told Heater I would." He started, giving Heather an appreciative look, "And it's not like I have any choice right now. We're in the middle of hyperspace after all." He finished, pointing out his current situation.

"Alright, we'll be meeting with The Alliance Fleet within the day. Get so rest." Astrid advised before heading back to the cockpit, Snotlout following after her.

"Hey Hammond, is it OK if I ask you some questions about The Jedi?" Fishlegs asked, excited that he got to meet an actual Jedi.

"Do you think you can show us more of your powers?" Tuffnut asked, pushing Fishlegs out of the way.

"Yeah, use them on Tuffnut," Ruffnut added in with a mischievous smile on her face.

Hammond was practically backed up in a corner, but Heather stepped in for him, "Guys, give him some space. He'll need time to readjust to things." She said, hoping they would get the message. It appeared they did and left the room, albeit a little disappointed.

"Thanks for that." Hammond offered in appreciation, before a smile appeared on his face, "So I guess we're even now." He spoke up.

"Excuse me?" Heather said.

"You saved my life, I saved yours, I cleaned your wounds, you cleaned mine, I chased away Sand People, and you chased away some over eager Berkians." Hammond listed with a tone that was not meant to be taken seriously, "So are we even?" He asked.

Heather thought for a moment before giving her answer, "Alright, we're even then if you're going to put it like that." She said, trying to sound stern, but failing due to how amusing she found Hammond's antics. After sharing a few laughs, the two enjoyed a comfortable silence before Heather decided to speak what was on her mind, "Hammond, can I ask you a question?"

"You just did." Hammond joked, "But yeah go ahead." He quickly added in when he saw her glare.

"What is the Force? I heard you talk about that earlier." Heather asked, unsure of what he was talking about.

"The Force is what gives The Jedi their power. It's an energy field created by all life in the universe." Hammond explained.

"And The Jedi can manipulate it?" She asked, thinking she was starting to understand what he was saying.

"Yes, but it takes a lot of training and practice." He answered.

"And I can use the Force." She asked.

"You have the potential to, but it wouldn't be easy to unlock this potential." He clarified, "I'll answer more of your questions later. Think you can show me to the crew quarters? I could use some rest." He requested.

"Sure, it's right this way." She replied before leading him to the crew's quarters.

* * *

 _The Deadly Nadder_ dropped out of hyperspace to be greeted by _The Skullcrusher_ and a fraction of The Alliance fleet. Astrid opened the comm to give them the good news, " _Skullcrusher_ , this is Astrid Hofferson on _The Deadly Nadder_ reporting in." She announced.

"This is Chief Stoick, we hear you. What news do you have?" She heard over the comm, surprised that Stoick was hailing her.

"We were successful, we found the Jedi and he is with us now." She reported back to him.

"Good work Astrid, I knew we could count on you." Stoick offered in praise from his end, "You're clear to land in hanger one, we'll meet you there."

 _The Deadly Nadder_ landed in the hanger, its boarding ramp opening when it landed. The gang began to walk out into the hanger, but Hammond stayed back for a moment, feeling nervous. Heather and BB-12 noticed and approached him, "Are you OK?" She asked him.

"Yeah, just nervous all of a sudden." He answered, trying to calm his uneasy nerves.

"You don't have to be, you'll be among friends from here on out." She reassured him. Hammond looked up and nodded in appreciation and began to walk down the ramp. He was greeted by the sight of Astrid talking to several Alliance leaders, mainly a large man with a red beard who he guessed had to be Stoick from what the gang had told him, and there was a crowd of Alliance engineers, pilots, soldiers, and more present, waiting for their chance to see a real Jedi in the flesh. He continues to walk down the ramp and towards Stoick, Heather, and BB-12 following him. Hammond looked around to see all the eyes gazing at him. Their expressions ranged from curiosity, suspicion, and hero worship.

"So you must be the Jedi we've heard about?" He heard Stoick ask him once he was standing a few feet in front of him, finally able to take in the Berkian's massive frame. The stories did not do him any justice.

"That's me, sir." He answered, "Hammond Thorinson, at your survived." He introduced, giving Stoick a respectful bow.

"I'm Stoick Haddock, and this is my wife; Valka Haddock." He introduced, pointing to himself and Valka as he said their names. "We're leaders in The Rebel Alliance, it's good to have you with us."

Hammond's eyes slightly widened when he heard their names, "Haddock?" He asked. Stoick and Valka were confused while Hammond was in thought, processing what he had just learned. Deciding to take a chance, he asked the question burning in his mind, "You're Hiccup's parents aren't you?"

"You know our son?" Valka asked him, breathless and in shock.

"Yes, he was my best friend." He answered, a slight smile on his as he thought on the memories he had of his friend. He was taken out of thoughts when he heard BB-12 letting off a series of beeps and chirps. "Well, one of my best friends, happy now?" He asked the jealous droid. BB-12 just looked away, like he was giving him the silent treatment.

"Do you know what happened to him?" Valka asked hesitantly, unsure if she wanted to know what happened to her son, a sentiment Stoick shared with her.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know what's happened to him," Hammond answered, feeling bad for the couple that he didn't have information on the fate of their son.

"That's OK lad, you have nothing to apologize for," Stoick said, laying a massive hand on his shoulder. "Follow me to the Command Bridge, we'll explain more there." He said to Hammond, moving his hand to encompass his body so Hammond was standing next to him as he led him through the ship.

Heather was walking behind them when Jorya Sparx approached her, "Didn't quite expect a Jedi to be like him." She admitted to her. Heather nodded, agreeing with the statement. "He's kind of cute too." She added. Heather snapped her head to look in Jorya's direction, caught off guard by the Zabrek's comment. Jorya just responded with a laugh at Heather's expression and just continued walking, leaving Heather to sort through her thoughts.

* * *

Astrid was watching the briefing in the Command Bridge from her spot with the rest of the gang. The Alliance leaders were briefing Hammond on what had happened for the past two years, all the way to when the sent her and the rest of the gang to find him.

"So that's everything that's happened," Stoick said as he finished the briefing.

"Hmm, it's impressive all that you've done so far with so few." Hammond complimented.

"Yeah, and with a Jedi on our side, we'll be unstoppable." Gobber cheered, his enthusiasm shared by most of the Alliance leaders.

And one of them was Mildew, "And how do we know he's qualified to lead?" He pointed out in a cranky tone.

" _He's a Jedi, Jedi have lead armies to victory for thousands of years._ " A Sullustan officer answered.

"And what about him? Just because he's a Jedi doesn't mean he can lead soldiers in battle. How do we even now he's fought in any battles before?" Mildew countered, the Alliance leaders who previously were rolling their eyes were now thinking about what he said.

But they were interrupted by Hammond snapping at Mildew, "I was at Geonosis, I remembered how many Jedi and Republic Troops died trying to stop The Clone War before it started. I fought at Christophsis, where two other Jedi and I lead our troops to victory against an army that had us outmanned and outgunned twenty to one. I remember Ryloth, where we worked with the local Twi'lek resistance to liberate the planet. " He started. Everyone who was listening was impressed by Hammond's achievements, all of the battles he listed were some of The Republic's hardest earned victories during the early days of The Clone Wars.

But Hammond wasn't done and continued his rant, his voice beginning to take a haunted and painful tone with each word, "I remember the Blue Shadow Virus Scare on Naboo, I nearly died when I was infected by the Virus, and I remember those who did. I remember Felucia, a world so deadly we lost more of our forces to the environment and disease then we did the enemy. I remember Kashyyyk, where the Separatists burned down whole continents of forests to drive us from our hiding spots. I remember Umbara, where it was so dark you couldn't see the enemy in front of you until they were trying to slit your throat in your sleep." As Hammond droned on, Astrid noticed that the Command Bridge was starting to rattle. It wasn't enough to cause any damage, but it was noticeable.

Hammond was breathing deeply, trying to calm himself, but he was failing as memories of The Clone War flooded his mind. The memories weren't always the problem, it was the feelings that came with it that was the problem. "I remember the fall of The Jedi Order." He said, his voice hoarse from his emotion filled rant. "I remember feeling the death of every single Jedi, my friends, through the Force as each and every one of them died. I remember experiencing their personal feelings as this happened, the shock and sense of betrayal that they felt." He finished with a whisper, taking deep, and ragged breaths as a lone tear rolled down his face.

The entire Command Bridge was silent as everyone took in the gravity of Hammond's story, and what he had been through. Hammond took a few breaths and straightened his posture, "Sorry about that." He apologized, "I…I just don't like to think about the war." He finished, not wanting to relive those memories.

"It's alright lad, we understand." Stoick offered in apology, "Does anyone else have anything to say?" He asked everyone present. No one spoke up, even Mildew stayed quiet. "Well, I guess that's that. Welcome to the Rebel Alliance." He stated while other members of the Alliance offered their own welcome.

"Stoick, if you have the time, I have something that should be brought to your attention concerning Heather," Hammond informed him, earning a curious look. Stoick offered a nod and called Valka, Gobber, Heather, and the other members of the gang and lead them to a separate room, where no one could eavesdrop on them.

"What is it?" Stoick asked, curious what a Jedi would want to talk to him about.

"During the mission when Astrid and the others found me, I discovered that Heather is Force Sensitive, meaning she has the possibility to use the Force," Hammond informed him. "Well, the possibility has been ruled out since she used it to throw back an Inquisitor." He corrected.

"An Inquisitor?" Valka asked.

"He said he was a Jedi hunter, and he was there for Hammond," Astrid answered.

Stoick was in thought, processing this information. Heather could use the Force, and there were Jedi hunters out there. "Is it possible for Heather to learn how to control and use her abilities?" Stoick asked.

"Yes, but it takes Jedi training," Hammond responded.

"Well then we have our answer; you'll train her to be a Jedi," Stoick stated, thinking it was the perfect plan for the situation.

"What?" Hammond and Heather spoke up at the same time. "Hold on Stoick. This is something you can just decide to do in a moment. This is a serious decision." Hammond advised.

"Why is that? It shouldn't be that hard to train her." Gobber asked casually, unsure of what the big deal was.

"Jedi training is a lifelong commitment that usually starts in early childhood. To train an adult would be difficult." Hammond explained.

"Is it still possible?" Valka asked.

"It is, but…" Hammond started but trailed off at the end.

"But what?" Astrid asked, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest.

"I uh…I've never trained an apprentice before, just helped with groups of younglings in techniques sessions. One on one training with an apprentice is totally different." Hammond answered, embarrassed with all the attention pointed his way.

"Oh, of course, this would happen," Snotlout muttered.

"Hammond, I understand your hesitance." Stoick started, "But look at it this way; the Inquisitors know you're with us and that Heather is Force Sensitive. They'll be coming after both of you now. Training her won't just teach her to control her abilities, but to defend herself from these Inquisitors as well." Stoick reasoned, seeing that it had the desired effect as he saw Hammond's face deep in thought.

After a moment, he answered, "Alright I'll do it, on one condition."

"What is it?" Stoick asked.

"Heather has to agree to it. This will change her life forever." Hammond said, pointing his hand in Heather's direction when he said her name, bringing all eyes to her.

Heather was deep in thought. Hammond was right, this was a big decision that would change everything for her. She had finally made her decision. "Alright, I'll do it." She said.

Hammond gave her a supportive smile, "Very well Heather, you're Jedi training begins tomorrow." He said as an excited smile began to spread across her face. "Think you can show me to my quarters, if I have any? I need to start planning out the lessons." Hammond asked.

"I'll show you, follow me." Valka offered.

Heather's eyes were on him as he left the room behind Valka and though on what she was going to be, excitement filling her veins at the idea.

She was going to become a Jedi.

* * *

Ryker was activating the communication console on the Bridge of his Star Destroyer, he needed to report in what he had found to The Grand Inquisitor. Once active, the image of another figure in armor similar to his appeared. The difference is that this man looked younger, had a full head of hair that was in a braid behind his head, and had a beard.

"Ah brother, it is good to see you." The Grand Inquisitor greeted, "How goes the hunting on Tatooine?" He asked.

"Not good Viggo, I found the Jedi, but the Rebels got to him first," Ryker reported, calling The Grand Inquisitor, and his younger brother, by his name.

Viggo was in thought as he processed this information, "Anything else?" He asked, his voice cold and calculating as always.

"Just this, it appears we found a Master and Apprentice combo." He answered, pulling up security footage from the fight in the hanger. Viggo watched the entire incident, taking note of the identities of the Jedi and his apparent pupil.

"Interesting, very interesting." He said as he recognized the Jedi, Hammond Thorinson, and began to plan out his demise.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Even I couldn't stand that cliffhanger for long.**

 **Please leave any constructive criticisms in your reviews, and I hope you have enjoyed this chapter.**


	5. Chapter 5- Sins of the Past

Chapter 5- Sins of the Past

* * *

Why did she think this was a good idea?

The past two weeks had been harder than anything she could have imagined, having to balance Jedi Training and completing missions for the Rebellion. Her training had started the next day after Hammond's meeting with the Alliance leaders. Her first week had been focused on meditation, "opening herself to the Force" as Hammond had put it. It had put her patience to the test, sitting in the same position for hours on end, but she experienced something incredible the second day in. It was that day she was opened to the Force. It was painful at first, her senses were overwhelmed tuning into the cosmic energy that held the universe together, but Hammond's gentle but firm tone and guidance was able to help her regain her focus, and it was incredible. It was like she could hear the heartbeat of the universe, feel emotions from beings so far away. It had taken the rest of the week for her to tune out the noise so she could focus the Force's energy, but she felt different now like she was in control.

But she had learned that was the easy part. She had now begun the hard part; learning to use her powers. Currently, she was doing an exercise they would do when they had the chance, using the Force to lift objects into the air. They were doing this in the hanger, as it was one of the few places big enough to conduct the exercise and there plenty of objects to pick up. Naturally, this had drawn a crowd. Hammond tried to get them to leave, but they would keep coming back. So Hammond decided to let them stay as the extra noise could help Heather get used to using the Force in a noisy area. Currently, a couple of barrels and crates were set up in front of her. She stood five meters away from them with her hand outstretched and eyes closed, trying to focus on the Force around the objects.

"Concentrate." She heard Hammond tell her in his gentle but firm tone he always used when teaching her, "Feel the Force around you, let it flow through you." He continued. Hammond was currently standing to Heather's right in his new outfit. One of the Alliance members used to be a tailor before joining, and they made Hammond a new set of Jedi Robes to replace his old one. Instead of going for the traditional cloak, Hammond had opted to go with plastoid armored shoulder pad, gauntlets, and boots. On his shoulder pads, where the symbol of the Republic used to be, was now the symbol of the Rebel Alliance. His lightsaber was now on hanging on his belt, situated proudly on his left hip.

"I'm trying," Heather said, the strain apparent in her voice.

"Do or do not, there is no try." Hammond quoted, remembering one of his Master's lessons, hoping to apply it to this situation.

Astrid, who was watching nearby with the rest of the gang and a few others who wanted to watch, decided to speak up, "How does that even make sense? How can you do something without trying to do it?" She asked.

Hammond held his hand up and turned in her direction like he was about to answer, but didn't have an answer. "It's…something you have to learn for yourself." He stammered like he didn't have the answer. This only caused Astrid to narrow her eyes in suspicion.

Hammond turned back to Heather and it looked like she was about to lift up one of the barrels, but the twins had to get involved. "This is so boring." Ruffnut lamented.

"I know sis, I thought we would be seeing some cool Jedi stuff." Tuffnut agreed. This distracted Heather as the box she was lifting began to shake.

To make things worse, Snotlout decided to join in the fun, "Yes c'mon babe. Use the Force." He flirted, taking an exaggerated elderly tone to mock Hammond.

Hammond narrowed his eyes in offense and was about to speak up but Heather beat him to it, "Snotlout, will you shut up?!" She yelled, opening her eyes and looking his direction, she did not need his flirting or the twin's antics right now. To everyone's surprise, Snotlout flew back and hit the barrels next to Fishlegs, who yelped and jumped away from them to avoid being hit. Heather let out a small gasp, she didn't mean to do that. She looked over to see Hammond face palm, mainly at Snotlout's behavior but she felt it applied to her as well.

"You're unfocused, you let your emotions cloud your judgement and control your actions," Hammond said, trying to convey it in an understanding tone, but Heather felt disappointment in it, but it was her own disappointment she felt. "Remember the Jedi Code," Hammond advised.

"Uh, what is the Jedi Code? I've heard you mention it a few times." Fishlegs asked, truly curious about the beliefs of the Jedi.

"There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the Force." Hammond recited, the words rolling off of his tongue with ease.

"That's…interesting." Fishlegs said, "But why would Heather's emotions make her unfocused? They've helped her in the past before she started Jedi training." Fishlegs asked Astrid nodded in agreement beside him.

"Emotions such as fear, anger, doubt, and others dark emotions can disrupt your focus or blind you to the situation in front of you, leading a Jedi into unknown danger." Hammond began, "The Force also reacts to your emotion, and can also lead to outbursts that have harmful consequences to those around you, like Heather, showed here with Snotlout and my incident on the bridge two weeks ago." He concluded.

"If it's so easy, prove it." Snotlout challenged, getting up from the barrels he knocked over and walking up to him.

At first, Hammond was going to reject that challenge, finding it to be just a petty attempt to salvage his pride. But he thought about it and realized that it would be a good demonstration for Heather. He looked over to _The Deadly Nadder_ that was resting in the hanger they were training in not far from them. He turned his body in the ship's direction and closed his eyes, clearing it of all distractions. Everyone was watching him, curious to what he was going to do. They got their answer when Hammond raised both of his hands and _The Deadly Nadder_ began to creak. Hammond put more effort into it as the ship began to lift off of the ground, slowly but surely. The ship came to a stop about ten feet of the ground and hovered in place. After a moment, Hammond lowered his arms and the ship did the same. The ship settled back into place like nothing happened. Hammond let his arms fall to his sides as he took deep breaths, he hadn't done something like that in years.

"Incredible."

"Did you see that?"

"He's amazing."

"You should have seen him cut through the Imperials a few days ago."

These were all the comments Astrid heard in the crowd of spectators. Comments like this had become pretty normal since Hammond arrived. Most of the Rebellion was worshiping him as some kind of hero, and his recent actions in the past few mission he was a part of had only increased this. Since he arrived two weeks ago, he joined in several missions against The Empire. During these missions, he would accomplish feats no normal soldier could. Sometimes the Force was involved, but sometimes it wasn't. Astrid could remember watching him take on more than a dozen Stormtroopers, deflecting blaster fire and cutting through their ranks like some mythical warrior from the old legends. Another incident involved him picking up an AT-ST walker with the Force and crushing it like it was a piece of paper. Astrid had to admit that these feats boosted the morale of the Rebellion. They felt like they were unbeatable with a Jedi on their side.

But Astrid noticed something strange in his behavior. Whenever offered praise or heralded as a hero, Hammond would thank them but state that he isn't or ever was a hero, just another member of the Alliance doing their duty. Although there was something else that had Astrid thinking, when he was doing these incredible feats, Astrid noticed a driven look in his eyes, not the type most within the Rebellion had. It wasn't the desire for freedom or the fight for survival motivation, it was something else; like he was trying to write some past wrong. Whatever is was, it seemed like they would never learn what it was. Getting information on Hammond's past concerning the end of The Clone Wars was like trying to squeeze water out of a rock. Anytime someone brought it up, he would just change the subject or end the conversation before disappearing. She still didn't know how he could do that.

She was taken out of her thoughts by a booming voice, "Alright, everyone get back to you posts. Shows over folks." She heard Stoick order to the crowd. The crowd did as they said and began to disperse. With that out of the way, he walked up to Astrid, "Astrid, I need you and the rest of your crew to get ready to head out."

"What do you need us to do Chief?" Astrid asked, always ready to strike against the Empire.

"I need to gather your crew and investigate an old Republic supply station. I sent a salvage team to gather what they could from this station, but we've lost contact with them." Stoick explained, keeping it short and to the point.

"Uh, why are we the ones investigating?" Snotlout asked, unsure why he would send a small group.

"Because this could be as simple as bad communications, but if it's serious, I don't want to risk our fleet getting caught in a trap." Stoick answered, "Better to send a smaller group that can escape quickly if things go wrong." He reasoned. He knew sending them was going to be a risk, but there were bigger risks if he sent the whole fleet.

"Can you do that? I don't want it to feel like I'm sending you to your deaths." Stoick asked, getting a bad feeling about this whole situation.

"We can Chief, we'll head out immediately. If something goes wrong, we'll send a distress signal." Astrid answered, giving him a salute.

"Alright, the fleet will be a few parsecs away if something goes wrong." Stock reassured them before heading back to the bridge. The gang dispersed to gather their gear and prepare for the mission, leaving Heather and Hammond alone.

"Ugh, I'm never going to get this right." Heather lamented, feeling uncertain of her abilities after Hammond's demonstration.

Hammond looked over in her direction, shocked at such a random outburst. He reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her, "You will get it right." He advised though he was unsure of what to say, "You just… need to do the best you can."

"I'm trying, but look at the things you do without even trying. You're the perfect Jedi. How can I match up to that?" Heather lamented before leaving to prepare for the mission.

Hammond was left alone processing her words, "But I'm not a perfect Jedi, believe me." He confessed to himself.

* * *

 _The Deadly Nadder_ emerged from hyperspace to be greeted by the sight of the old Republic supply station. Astrid tried to hail the salvage team on their communicators, but they got no response. _The Deadly Nadder_ settled in one of the station's hangers and the team walking down the boarding right. Something felt wrong her as they took in the rusting scenery within the hanger. The power was minimal at best, meaning the lights and other systems were out. At least life support was still working.

"I got a bad feeling about this," Snotlout said, his eyes darting to every darkened corner.

"This place gives me the creeps," Ruffnut added, hugging her arms to warm herself up, this station was freezing!

"An abandoned station, missing salvage team, the creeps." Tuffnut listed off with each finger. He suddenly came to a realization. "I bet this place is crawling with ghosts and other such spirits, planning on dragging us down to the dark underworld where they will torture us by tickling us for eternity." He yelled out, in conclusion, using Ruffnut as a human shield at the end.

Hammond watched the twin's behavior with a raised eyebrow, still trying to get used to the twin's behavior. Ruffnut gasped as she muttered the name of this place with fear, "Niflheim?"

"Gesundheit," Tuffnut added in, completely losing the point of his earlier rant.

"Must be some pretty strong spirits if they can drag you to the underworld all the way from outer space," Hammond muttered to himself, not wanting to be disrespectful to Berkian culture and beliefs.

"Niflheim? I knew coming here was a bad idea." Snotlout yelled when he heard this. He took another step forward when the floor suddenly gave out beneath him, screaming as he fell into an old maintenance shaft. Everyone gathered around the hole to see Snotlout ten feet below them, unharmed but covered in debris and wiring. "Get me out of here!" He wailed, wanting to be back on their level.

"Yeah right. That's what the ghosts want us to do." Tuffnut said, not buying Snotlout's predicament.

"Tuffnut!" Snotlout yelled back, holding a fist into the air, earning what sounded like BB-12's version of laughter. Before anyone could act, Snotlout started floating into the air. They all looked to their left to see Hammond with his eyes closed and his were outstretched.

However, Snotlout was not happy with his situation, "Put me down!" He screamed, flailing his arms in the air as the twins laughed on. Hammond did as he was asked and gently put him down, letting him stand on his feet.

But Snotlout showed not appreciation for this save, "Next time; warn a man before picking him up like that." He said to him in an irritated tone.

"Can I drop him the next time I have to do that?" Hammond asked Astrid.

"Actually, I'm disappointed you didn't drop him this time," Astrid answered, never afraid to speak her mind. She simply ignored Snotlout's grumbling team got ready to head into the bowels of the decaying station.

The gang moved through the darkened hallways on edge, sparks would occasionally fly out of exposed and corroded wiring, causing them to startle and look to the source before moving on. Something wasn't right, Hammond could feel it. He sensed something on this station, but he couldn't tell what it was. When they arrived at a four-way intersection, something gained is attention from the left. He looked down the hallway and saw a glimpse of something, but it was gone before he could get a good look.

"What did you see?" Astrid asked, wondering what caught his attention.

"I don't know." He responded, "I'm going to investigate, see if it's a member of the salvage team." He told her, looking for her sign of approval.

"Alright, but take Heather with you. We'll continue to the bridge." She told him, earning a nod from him. With that settled, Hammond and Heather began to walk down the hall while Astrid took the rest of their crew with her.

"Be sure to keep your comm open, though." Astrid turned around and called out to them.

"Will do," Heather responded. The pair followed their path down the hall, keeping an eye open for any sign of life. Even though they couldn't find anyone, they couldn't help but feel like they were being watched.

"Your Master cannot be trusted." A voice went off in Heather's head, but she didn't recognize it. It sounded cold and calculated. Heather looked around her to see if she could find the source of the voice, but the only one with her was Hammond.

"You're Master will abandon you." There it was again. She quickened her search, trying to find the voice and ignore this cold feeling that came over her.

This gained Hammond's attention, "Heather, are you alright?" He asked her, concern laced in his voice.

"You're Master will fail you, and you will die for his failure." The voice told her, sounding like it was all around her. Heather tried to shut it out, but the voice and the old were suffocating.

Fortunately, another voice snapped her out of it, "Heather!" Hammond pressed further, grabbing both of her shoulders and giving her a gentle shake to get her attention. It worked as the voice and the cold disappeared, although the cold lingered awhile longer than the voice.

"Are you OK?" Hammond asked when he knew he had her attention.

"I heard a voice, and I felt cold," Heather responded, hugging her body to bring her body temperature back up to normal.

Hammond was about to ask what the voice had said but noticed an open door behind her. Once he brought it to her attention, the two made their way over to the door. They discovered that it was the Security Control Room, the various screens and consoles would allow the station's crew to see everything on the station and respond to it. Unfortunately, all of them were out of power or were in disrepair.

"Astrid, we found the Security Control Room." Hammond spoke into his comm, "What's your status on the Command Bridge?" He asked.

"Fishlegs and BB-12 are slicing into the computers up here now. We might be able to restore power to your room and contact you with the holoprojector." Astrid informed him on the other end. Sure enough, the consoles and screens that were still intact began to hum as power returned to them. Hammond approached and logged into the main on, and found an interesting discovery.

Before he could investigate, holograms of Astrid, Snotlout, the twins, and Fishlegs appeared to their right, being emitted by a projector on the wall. "Wow, that actually worked," Snotlout said in disbelief.

"I told you it would work Snotlout." Fishlegs responded in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Fishlegs." Astrid warned, not in the mood for another debate caused by Snotlout during a mission, "Did you guys find anything?" She asked Hammond.

"We found a holorecording on the system here, it might show us what happened," Hammond informed her.

Fishlegs began typing on a keyboard, "Alright, we should be able to see it now." He said to them, looking at the same screen the rest of the gang on the bridge were looking at.

Hammond and Heather looked at their screen. While they were expecting a recording from the station to appear, they were greeted by images of stone hallways and hooded figures walking through them.

"Hey, this doesn't look like the station." Ruffnut pointed out. The others couldn't help but agree with her. As they observed the holorecording, the noticed a group of four Jedi, ranging from mid to late teens, walking down the hall. Among these Jedi was a younger Hammond.

"Whoa, what are doing in this recording, Hammond?" Tuffnut questioned, sharing a confused look with the rest of the gang.

"Because that's the Jedi Temple on Coruscant," Hammond responded, short of breath because of the lump in his throat.

The image on screen cut out, but when it returned, it showed an older Hammond walking down the hallway alone. For no reason, the Hammond on screen clutched his chest, like he was in pain. He tried to support himself against a pillar but ended up sliding down the pillar and onto the floor. The video cut out again and resumed at the exact same location, only hours later. Hammond was still in the same place on screen, but he seemed to be getting back up. Once again, the image changed again, this time, it was showing Jedi engaged with what looked like Stormtroopers in an older version of their armor, and the Temple was in ruins.

Heather looked over to Hammond to see him staring at the images on the screen in horror. He took a few shaky steps back as the painful memories of that day came back to him. Heather looked back at the screen to see Hammond was the focus again. He was overlooking the battle from what looked like a balcony. To everyone's surprise, the Hammond on screen turned around and ran from the battle instead of getting involved. He then found what appeared to be the entrance to a ventilation shaft, took the grate off of it, slipped in, and replaced the grate, like he wasn't even there. Shortly after he disappeared, a Jedi was slain near the grate by a figure hooded in a dark cloak and wielding a blue lightsaber, several Stormtroopers in outdated armor behind him. The figure continued down the hall menacingly, passing by the ventilation grate, unaware of the Jedi who just escaped him. After that image passed, the holorecording ending.

Heather looked back to Hammond, who was looking at the ground in shame. "Hammond, what was that?" Astrid asked from her side of the holocall, confusion riddled on her face and the faces of those with her.

Before Hammond could answer, they were interrupted by the voice Heather had heard in the hallway, "It's not as complicated as you think it is; your Jedi hero is a coward." Heather and Hammond heard behind them. They turned around to find a figure in the same armor as Ryker, only he was a few years younger with long brown hair in a short braid behind his head and a short beard.

The figure stepped into the room, his hands behind his back. "My name is Viggo, and I am the Grand Inquisitor." He said as he walked in. Once he was in, he brought his right hand out from behind his back to reveal he was holding a lightsaber similar to Ryker's, but Viggo's had elegant designs carved into the hilt and had two spikes sticking out of the half-circle guard.

Once he had entered the room, Viggo flicked his wrist and activated his lightsaber, bathing the room in its red light as it hummed. He looked to Heather and Hammond with yellow glowing eyes and a calculated look on his face, like he had the next two moves planned out.

"Welcome." He offered in a false greeting of friendship.

"What…you mean this whole thing was a setup?" Astrid questioned.

"Yes, I regret to inform you that your salvage team is gone." Viggo began with mock sincerity, "But their sacrifice wasn't for nothing. Their deaths served a purpose; luring the last Jedi Knight to his end." Viggo finished.

Suddenly, the holofigures of Astrid and the gang began to flicker, before disappearing as Heather and Hammond looked on. Once they were gone, they looked back to see Viggo with a confident grin on his face. "There will be no help coming, or escape for you, this time, Hammond Thorinson." He spoke up, pointing that last part to Hammond, who had a look that was mixed with fear and anger.

Hammond responded by drawing his lightsaber and going in for an overhead swing, but Viggo stepped to the side to avoid the attack. Hammond brought his lightsaber back up, to which Viggo blocked the attack with his lightsaber, still keeping one hand behind his back. The two were in a saber lock, but Viggo leaned his body into the lock to unbalance Hammond.

"You know, when my brother showed the footage of you engagement with him, I was intrigued to see that you were still alive." Viggo began, quickly ducking under a horizontal slash from Hammond before countering with a thrust. Hammond blocked the thrust with a vertical block, the blades hissing near his face.

"After doing some digging in The Jedi Temple security archives, I discovered that recording from Operation Knightfall." Viggo carried on, walking towards Hammond as he backed away, keeping the blades near his face. "I was curious as to why you joined the Rebellion, but the presence of your Padawan answered that question." He finished, referring to Heather who was now standing by the door.

Hammond broke the lock and went for another attack, but Viggo dodged it and kicked him in the back of his head, causing him to collapse at Heather's feet. "Heather, you need to get the others now," Hammond told her, before resuming his duel with Viggo. Heather did as he told and left the room, but she stopped about ten feet away from the room. She didn't feel like leaving him right now, but she wasn't sure what to think of him after seeing the recording. She was taken out of her thoughts when Hammond was thrown out of the door and hit the wall. Viggo emerged from the room and slashed Hammond's spot with a vertical attack, but Hammond jumped out of the way. He rolled to his feet and placed himself between Viggo and Heather.

Viggo held out his lightsaber horizontally and hit another button, which activated a second blade at the bottom of the hilt, creating a doublesaber. Viggo went for another attack, using his weapon like a quarterstaff now, twirling the blade in a series of attacks that had Hammond on the defensive, unable to find an opening. He had Hammond back on his heels now, engaged in another saber lock. "Are you paying attention Padawan?" He asked Heather, who was standing there with her conflicted thoughts. "The Jedi Order is dead, their only survivor is this broken shell of a Jedi filled with fear. But there is another path for you; The Dark Side." Viggo offered her.

It didn't take long for Heather to form and answer, "Never heard of it." She responded, preparing her axe for battle. She went in for an attack, Viggo pushed Hammond off of him and brought his doublesaber up to block it. Viggo then brought his hand back and thrust it forward, sending Heather flying back with a Force push. Heather landed fifteen away from them and rolled one the ground, laying on the floor to get her bearings again.

Hammond was wide-eyed while watching this, but was brought of out this by Viggo, "Have you taught her nothing?" He asked him in a condescending way. Hammond looked back at him and charged in again with a yell, motivated by his desire to protect Heather.

* * *

On the station's bridge, Fishlegs was trying to boot the system back up, but something was blocking them. Having enough of this, Astrid made her way to the door. "Where are you going?" Snotlout asked her.

"I'm going to help them." She responded.

"Uh, why should we help them, or more specifically Hammond? He left his own Order to die, how do we know he won't do the same to us." Snotlout asked, not wanting to risk his neck for what he thought was a coward.

"It doesn't matter what he did back then, what matters now is that they both need help now." She reasoned with, too focused on helping Heather and Hammond to even think about Snotlout's comment. She had just left the room when she looked down the hall to see a familiar figure.

It was Ryker, he was standing in the middle of the hallway. The moment Astrid had laid eyes on him, Ryker activated his lightsaber, becoming the only significant source of light. Astrid pulled her axe from her back and charged at him. Ryker ducked this attack and countered with a slash, but Astrid blocked it with the handle of her axe. Astrid then brought the end of her axe's handle on Ryker's temple, causing him to stumble back. Astrid capitalized on this opening by delivering a kick in the gut and kneeing him in the face when he bent over to clutch his chest with his free hand.

Ryker stepped back a bit, trying to refocus. He wasn't expecting that. He looked back up at Astrid and rolled his neck and shoulders out, each roll caused a series of cracks to be heard. "You've been practicing, haven't you?" He asked her.

"I was hoping for a rematch," Astrid answered back before letting out a war cry and charging forward again. She attacked with ferocity and determination that would make any Berkian proud, but it wasn't enough as Ryker recovered and began his own counter attacks. Astrid axe was starting to wear down, the lightsaber whittling it down. She wouldn't hold out too much longer on her own.

"Astrid." Fishlegs called out to her. She looked down the hall to see that the others were down the hall leading them to the hanger, waving her to come towards them. She wasn't one to back down from a fight, but it looked like they had a plan. Astrid began to back towards them Ryker delivering powerful blows the entire way down. When they were near the others, Ryker sent a Force push to Astrid and sent her flying back, landing at Fishlegs's feet.

"For someone looking for a rematch, you've been a disappointment," Ryker said condescendingly. This attitude turned to confusion when he saw the smug grins the twins were sharing. Then, Tuffnut brought his hand up to reveal a detonator in his hands. It was then Ryker heard a beeping sound. He looked around the see thermal detonators on the walls around him. He lunged backwards to safety just as Tuffnut pushed the button. The hallway was consumed by the bright light from the explosion as the hall ahead of them collapsed, and their part of the station shook from the explosion. Thankfully, the twins didn't use that much so they were left unharmed.

"The Tuffnut special. It works every time." Tuffnut declared proudly, but this sentiment wasn't shared by Ruffnut.

"Hey, that was my idea." Ruffnut accused, getting up into her brother's face.

"Knock it off you two, we need to get back to the ship, make sure we have an escape route. Then we'll help Heather and Hammond." Astrid ordered, earning understanding nods from the gang. They then ran down the hall, intent on getting out of this death trap.

* * *

Hammond blocked the attacks from Viggo's doublesaber with his lightsaber, the blades crashing together and illuminating the hallway. Viggo then went for Hammond's legs with a sweep, but Hammond jumped back to avoid it. "Do you really think you can save your precious Padawan?" Viggo taunted, "For her sake, surrender. Her destiny lies with The Empire."

Hammond looked back to Heather, who was just getting back on her feet, before looking back to Viggo, "That's not for you to decide, her destiny is her own choice." He responded, his eyes a light in determination. Heather couldn't help but feel touched by this sentiment.

Viggo thought about Hammond's words, then a smile crossed his face as he stood up. "Then we'll let her make that choice, shall we?" He asked before sending Hammond flying back with the Force, hitting the floor behind Heather. "You're Master is a failure," Viggo said, grabbing Heather's attention. "He's unfocused, his emotions; his fear and guilt to be precise, cloud his judgement and control his actions." He finished.

"Then we're perfect for each other," Heather responded, charging in with her axe raised for another overhead attack. Viggo stepped to the side to avoid it and went for her exposed back. Heather rolled forward, the lightsaber striking the ground where she once was and turned around to face him again.

'I must admit; your loyalty is admirable, but it won't save you." Viggo stated, twirling his doublesaber in his hands. "Ready to die?" He asked her, leveling the blade horizontally in his hands.

Hammond began to sit up to see Viggo prepare his attack, the he saw him charge. "NO!" He yelled, reaching out to Viggo with the Force. Viggo had brought his doublesaber up to attack but was frozen in place. Viggo looked back to confirm that Hammond was using the Force to hold him in place. Hammond then shot his hand up and Viggo slammed into the ceiling, "RUN!" Hammond called out to Heather. Heather decided to take his word and ran to him, dropping to her knees to help him up just as he dropped Viggo.

Viggo landed with a crouch and stood back up facing them. He brought his doublesaber up and clicked a button. Part of his half-circle guard folded out, making a discus that surrounded his doublesaber hilt. They heard a click and to their surprise, the disk began to spin, causing the lightsaber blades to spin. The blades became a blur of red as they spun faster and faster around the hilt.

"Does yours do that?" Heather asked Hammond as he got up.

"No, and I think we should leave now." He answered, grabbing Heather's arm as they turned around and ran down the hall. Viggo ran after them in hot pursuit, but Hammond destroyed a door console on the wall with his lightsaber, causing the door to close behind them and block Viggo's path. Viggo plunged his lightsaber into the door and began cutting, unwilling to let his prey escape. The two managed to make it to the hanger, where they found Astrid and the rest of the gang waiting for them on _The Deadly Nadder's_ boarding ramp. Once they realized everyone was here, Hammond closed the hanger's door and destroyed the console once it was sealed, like he did with Viggo.

Astrid had noticed them come in and ran over to them, "You're here, we just got here and were preparing to look for you two." She said to them when they met in between the hanger doors and the ship.

"We were held up, but we have to leave now." Heather replied, "Viggo was on our tail. But we slowed him down."

"We ran into Ryker on the way here, but the twins blew up a hallway to cut him off from us," Astrid revealed.

"That won't hold them for long, we need to leave now," Hammond said, finally speaking up.

"Uh, how long do you think we have?" Fishlegs asked, terrified at the idea of dealing with two Inquisitors.

Meanwhile, Viggo had made it to the hanger door and was joined by Ryker, who found a way around the collapsed hallway. The two brothers looked at each other and nodded. They then plunged their lightsabers into the door, intent on cutting through. The ends of their lightsabers could be seen from the other side, alerting the gang to their presence. "Never ask questions you don't want the answers to," Hammond muttered.

"C'mon," Astrid called out, running into the ship. The others followed her lead and went in behind her, just in time as Viggo and Ryker finished cutting through the door. The large piece they cut out was kicked by Ryker and landed with a loud clang. The two Inquisitors just stepped into the hanger in time to see _The Deadly Nadder_ taking off. Ryker was about to intervene, but Viggo put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a look that told him to let them go. The two watched as the ship left the hanger and jumped to hyperspace.

"Why did we let them go?" Ryker asked his brother.

"Sometimes you must accept defeat in order to achieve a greater victory." Viggo responded, "There faith in their Jedi has been shaken, and the seeds of doubt have been planted." He finished, then walking back into the station, leaving Ryker alone with his thoughts.

* * *

Hammond was sitting on top of a crate with his back against another crate. When everyone had gotten aboard the ship, he went for the cargo hold to be alone with his thoughts, and BB-12 who followed him in. He was trying to suppress the memories that played in his brain, he didn't want to live through them again. But no matter how hard he tried, he continued to see, smell, hear, and feel every single detail of the memories. He was taken out of his thoughts when he heard the door open and saw Heather standing there. He turned away the moment he made eye contact, he didn't want her to see him like this.

Heather watched him to this and couldn't help but feel sorry for him, she had never seen him like this. She walked up to him and sat on an open space next to him. "Hey." She greeted, only to be met with silence. "This is about what happened aboard the station, isn't it?' She asked him, earning a depressed nod from here. "Just to let you know, the others don't blame you for what you did." She told him, earning a shocked look from him.

"What, why?" He asked her.

"We all saw what was on the recording, you didn't have a choice." She answered him, moving a hand to his shoulder.

"But I could have done something, anything other than just run like a coward." He muttered, shame and guilt filling him.

"You're not a coward, you've proven that to us." She reassured him, but then she remembered something from the recording. "Hammond, before it showed your escape, you collapsed on the ground, what happened?" She asked him.

Hammond swallowed the lump in his throat before answering, "I felt thousands of Jedi dying, and with it, a great darkness filled the void from their deaths." He began. "With that darkness, I felt fear, a fear I never felt before. When I saw the Temple under attack, I couldn't help myself. I just kept running, I wasn't even aware where I was the entire time. When I finally regained my senses, I could see the Temple in flames from where I was. After that, I met back up with BB-12, got a ship, crashed on Tatooine, and you know the rest from there." He told her, looking at the ground in front of him.

Heather took the time to think about what she had just heard. She couldn't believe he had been through all of that. Now she understood why he didn't want to talk about it, she wouldn't in his shoes. She brought a hand to his face to make him look at her in the eyes, "Hammond, anyone would have done what you did in your shoes. If you had tried to fight back, you would have been killed, and you wouldn't be with us now." She told him, meaning every word she said.

Hammond took a minute to process this before responding, "Your right, I guess I can't blame myself forever." He said not sounding entirely convinced but he sounded more like himself.

Heather smiled to see more of himself coming back to the surface, "Good." She said, patting his shoulder with a slight smile, but then she remembered what they had encountered. "Well, we know who's after us now." She reminded him.

"Yeah, as if one Inquisitor was bad enough." Hammond responded, a determined look replacing his depressed one as he scooted off the crate and stood up, "I know I'm not the best teacher, not by a long shot, but I will do the best I can to teach you to be a Jedi, no more trying, I promise you." He swore to her, putting as much emotion into the promise as possible.

Feeling inspired by his promise, Heather stood up and looked to see a crate by itself. She closed her eyes and raised her hand up, focusing all her effort on lifting the box with the Force. After a moment of concentrating, she opened her eyes to see the crate floating a few feet above the ground. Not wanting to ruin what she had achieved, she lowered her arm and let the crate settle back on the ground.

She looked over to Heather with a proud smile on her face and saw that Hammond was sharing the same smile. "I knew you could do it." He told her confidently. She couldn't help but agree and felt her own confidence soar. Maybe she would be a Jedi after all.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **HICCUP IS COMING. Making hashtags to bring him in quicker doesn't help. I have to set things up first.**

 **Please leave any constructive criticisms in your reviews, and I hope you have enjoyed this chapter.**


	6. Chapter 6- The Sith Lord

Chapter 6- The Sith Lord

* * *

It had been a week since the encounter with Viggo, and true to Heather's words the gang was understanding to what Hammond did, although Snotlout wasn't entirely convinced. When they returned to the fleet, they reported the fate of the salvage team, their encounter with Viggo, and Hammond revealed what happened to Stoick and some of the other Alliance leaders. To Hammond's surprise, Stoick was even more understanding then the gang was to Hammond's plight, and told him to put his past behind him and work for a better future. Most of the leaders agreed with him, but Mildew still had to make his mind known, saying Hammond shouldn't be with them, but that idea was promptly dismissed.

During the week, Heather's training was even smoother than before. Hammond no longer pushed her too hard, and Heather dedicated herself to learning about the Force, even if that meant hours of boring meditation. She was now making decent progress and Hammond felt it was going to be time to move on to newer areas of Jedi training; like wielding a lightsaber.

But that could wait, right now they were in a meeting on _The Skullcrusher's_ Command Bridge, looking over reports from across the galaxy. " _Our forces have been routed near Saleucami, we've lost influence in the region._ " A Duros officer reported, using his native tongue to speak.

Stoick stroked his beard as he hummed in thought, "What of our agents on Mon Calamari, have they anything to report?" Stoick asked.

"Several of our agents have recruited more Mon Calamari and Quarren who are willing to help us by stealing some Mon Calamari Star Cruisers for us, but the Empire has a lockdown on those ships. It will take them some time." Gobber reported.

Stoick nodded and looked back at the galaxy map. They were in a tight spot, they could only do so much while their fleet was on the move. That was when an idea came to mind, "We're going to need a base, a permanent installation where we can coordinate our efforts and have a place to make repairs and resupply out forces." He proposed, backing it up with the logic that came to mind.

" _Wouldn't that make us more vulnerable to an Imperial attack of we are caught?"_ A Sullustan asked him.

"It would be just as dangerous if they caught our fleet in the open while being repaired, everything we do now is a risk." Valka reasoned, earning a nod from the Sullustan.

"Where ever this base will be, it will need to be hidden. We already have two Inquisitors on our tail because of Hammond and Heather, we don't need anything worse after us." Spitelout interjected, pointing to Hammond, who was next to Stoick, and Heather, who was with the rest of the gang in the audience when he said their names. While it was insensitive to point them out and seemingly put the blame on them, he did have a point.

"What could possibly be worse than Force-wielding Jedi hunters?" Gobber asked, not convinced there were worse things out there.

"When you ask for trouble, you should not be surprised when it finds you," Hammond advised, finally speaking up.

They were interrupted by a beeping from one of the communication consoles, the beeping was in a pattern like it was a code. "Sir, we receiving a long range transmission, but it's not an Imperial or Alliance code." The communication officer told Stoick, who had come up to investigate this with Hammond.

"I know that code," Hammond muttered after listening to the pattern for a minute, the memories of who the code was associated with coming back to him. "Stoick, accept the call. I know who uses this code, they wouldn't call us for no good reason." He told him. Stoick was hesitant to accept it, but if Hammond trusted it, then he would as well.

Stoick nodded to the officer, who began to prep the call to be displayed on the main holoprojector. The two walked over to the center holoprojector the leaders were gathered around. The image of the galaxy map faded and was replaced by a large, reptilian humanoid, a Trandoshan. The Trandoshan had dark, purplish skin, he was wearing what looked like hunting gear, and had a vibro-sword and sniper rifle on his back. The Trandoshan began to look around, taking note of all the Alliance leaders he could see. It was like he was looking for something or someone.

"Hello ugly," Snotlout stated, keeping his voice quiet the Trandoshan couldn't hear him.

"Hey Ruff, we found you a boyfriend who's as ugly as you." Tuffnut joked quietly to his sister, earning an elbow to the ribs from her.

If the Trandoshan heard these comments, he didn't let anyone know. After letting his eyes wonder over the audience, he finally set his sights on Hammond. To everyone's surprise, the Trandoshan gave a respectful bow to him. " _Scorekeeper's Herald, it is good to see you still live._ " The Trandoshan said to Hammond, using the Trandoshan's native language, Dosh, to communicate.

None of the Alliance members present could understand what he was saying, it all sounded like reptilian hisses and growls to them, but Hammond could understand it and he recognized the Trandoshan, "Guardian, is that really you?" He asked the Trandoshan in disbelief.

" _It is. Imperial are terrible hunters, they destroy their prey's tracks like hatchlings._ " The Trandoshan, now recognized as Guardian, confirmed for him.

"It's good to see you again, but how did you find me?" Hammond asked him. The other Alliance leaders were silent as they observed the call. This Guardian obviously contacted them for a reason and they wanted to see this play out.

" _When Herald of Scorekeeper disappeared, I began searching for other Jedi. I had heard rumors of one on other planets, but I discovered you were with the Rebellion. An old friend who owed me a friend set up this call._ " Guardian elaborated, Hammond following every word.

But one part stuck out the most, "Wait, you found another Jedi?" Hammond asked him. This caused everyone on the bridge to start talking to each other. Another Jedi was out there? What were the odds of that? Stoick and Valka began to follow the conversation with greater interest.

" _Yes, I have found that an unknown ship has been traversing the Outer Rim since The Jedi Order fell. Everywhere it went, rumors of a Jedi have followed. I have lost track of the ship, but I know of an abandoned Republic tracking station that can tell us where the Jedi has gone. If you wish, I can send you the coordinates and meet you there._ " Guardian elaborated, Hammond hanging onto every word with hope filling his veins.

"Of course, we'll be there as soon as possible," Hammond said. Guardian nodded as the image faded, indicating he was the one to end the call. "Chief, with your permission, I would like to meet with him. I need to know if there are other Jedi out there." He asked, his voice almost taking a pleading tone.

"You don't even have to ask." Stoick answered him, "I guess you'll be Heather and the rest of the gang?" He asked Hammond, looking to the gang when he mentioned them.

"If they want to," Hammond said, making eye contact with Heather who had a small smile on her face. They all nodded, letting him know they were coming.

"Good, then head out as soon as possible," Stoick told him. Hammond then began walking out of the Command Bridge, Heather walking next to him and the rest of the gang following them.

* * *

Lightyears away, over the planet Saleucami, an Alliance fleet was being destroyed by an Imperial fleet. All that remained was a lone Nebulon B2 Escort Frigate, but it was badly damaged. A Star Destroyer cruised by as its turbo-laser batteries opened fire, striking multiple sections of the ships. Something went off in the ship as fires began to erupt through the hull and spread throughout the ship. The ship cracked and was rocked by an explosion, the ship's remains joining the wreckage of the fleet it was once a part of.

Watching this battle from the Bridge was an armored figure, the exact same figure from Heather's vision. The figure was Darth Insanus, a Dark Lord of the Sith. His back was turned to the rest of the crew on the Bridge as he examined the wreckage, savoring the destruction. His moment was interrupted by an Imperial Officer, the ship's captain, walking up to him.

"Uh…m-my Lord?" The officer stammered with fear in his voice. Darth Insanus turned his head in his direction, indicating he was listening. "We have just received an alert from an abandoned tracking station not far from her, one of the ones we set alarms for." He told him. Old Republic outposts were prime spots for pirate bases, so they were set with alarms if anyone approached them.

Darth Insanus was in thought for a moment, "Do we know how many ships there are?" he asked the officer, the helmet made his voice sounded entirely robotic, but there was a trace of a male voice, probably in his mid-twenties, hidden within it.

The voice chilled the officer to the bone, but he regathered his thoughts and answered, "Just one ship, but it matches the description of the ship The Grand Inquisitor reported, the one the Jedi Hammond Thorinson escaped in my Lord."

Darth Insanus turned to face the officer and walked past him, "Prep your ship to head to the station, I will take my ship investigate myself. If Hammond and his Padawan are there, they will escape the Empire again." He said as he left the Bridge, heading to the hanger where his ship was. Hammond was as good as dead, he was laughing to himself with excitement as anticipation set in.

* * *

 _The Deadly Nadder_ emerged from Hyperspace to be greeted by a lifeless world and its moons, one of which had a breathable atmosphere. This was where the tracking station was built.

"Guardian said he'll meet us at the station, on that large moon," Hammond instructed, standing behind Astrid in her pilot seat.

"Quick question; how are you friends with a Trandoshan?" Fishlegs asked him, truly curious at how a Jedi could be friends with a Trandoshan. He hasn't heard the most flattering of things when people talk about them.

"It started when I was fifteen when I was still a Padawan." Hammond began, "My Master and I were sent to investigate a disturbance in the Force on a remote planet. We discovered poachers on the planet, and my Master was captured. I was pursued, but I was saved by Guardian. Guardian was on the planet hunting some unknown creature that Trandoshans had been trying to find for generations, no one had seen it. It was worth a lot of Jagannath Points according to him." He said, pacing around the cockpit as he told his story, the gang cling on to every word.

"Jagannath Points?" Heather questioned, completely lost as to what he meant.

"Guardian follows the old ways of the Trandoshans," Hammond replied. "He follows the deity called 'The Scorekeeper', she's a goddess who keeps tallies of their kills they get on their hunts hunt. The more prestigious or rare the target killed, the more points it's worth, and the more Jagannath points a Trandoshan has, the higher their position would be in the afterlife. Does that explain it?" He elaborated, making sure to include as much detail as possible.

"Interesting," Fishlegs muttered, finding their culture to be brutal but fascinating.

"After Guardian saved my life, he helped me save my Master. After the pirates were defeated, we found Guardian's beast and the source of the disturbance. It was a Terentatek, a powerful that feeds on Force-sensitives. The three of us managed to defeat it after a tough battle. When the battle was over, Guardian believed that I as what he calls "The Herald of the Scorekeeper" her champion. He's been by my side up to the fall of The Jedi Order and has been a good friend." Hammond finished his story with, sitting down once he was done.

"Uh, is his name actually Guardian?" Snotlout asked.

"No, Guardian is just a nickname I gave him. His real name in Dosh is too difficult for humans to pronounce, so we settled for Guardian." Hammond answered, "But you can ask him more in person, we're coming in for a landing." He announced, seeing that Astrid was too busy trying to land.

The ship had managed to find an open hanger and landed, within the hanger was a large Trandoshan, more than seven feet tall, waiting for them. When they walked down the ramp, they confirmed that Guardian was still wearing what they saw in the holocall and that his hunting gear was in a dark camo pattern, perfect for the hunt.

Once he saw them, he walked up to them, " _It is good to see you in the flesh Herald._ " He offered in greeting.

"It's good to see you again too." Hammond returned the greeting with. "Guardian, I want you to meet Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Heather, who's my Padawan," Hammond said to introduce each member of the gang, lingering near Heather when he introduced her.

" _Heather is to become a Jedi?_ " Guardian questioned, to which Hammond responded with a nod. Guardian looked over to Heather and began looking her over like he was inspecting her. " _She will make a fine Jedi, she has the strength in spirit and determination for it,_ " Guardian said, satisfied with his assessment.

"Guardian says you'll be fine Jedi one day." Hammond translated for her.

"Oh…well, thank you." Heather stammered, surprised that Guardian accepted her so quickly.

"This is fine and all, but we're here for a reason." Astrid butted in, "Let's use the tracker, find our Jedi, and get out of her." She added in, walking into the station when she was done.

They found the main control room within minutes and activated the old equipment, or what was in working condition. They put in the coordinates that Guardian had given them, where the Jedi was sighted. Once the coordinates were in, the computer began to calculate where the Jedi could go next. After a few minutes, they had a possible destination for where their Jedi could be.

"Dantooine." Fishlegs announced, "The computer says the Jedi's on Dantooine."  
"Are you sure about that Fishlegs?" Astrid asked.

"I calculate an eighty-nine percent chance that the Jedi will be there." Fishlegs answered, confident as always with his calculations.

"Then let's head out," Astrid said and headed back to the ship with the others in tow. If they had stayed just a few seconds longer, they would have seen on of the computers tracking a ship that was heading for one of the station's hangers, close to the hanger their ship was in.

They began to approach the ship, ready to leave this desolate rock behind. As they got closer, Hammond began to slow down. He sensed something, a dark presence he hadn't felt since the attack on the Jedi Temple. Guardian seemed to notice this, " _Hold, Herald senses something._ " He alerted the rest on the gang.

Everyone turned to see Hammond with his eyes closed, focusing on what the presence could be with the Force. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open as he grabbed his lightsaber, turned around, and activated his lightsaber, the blue blade becoming a new source of light in the hanger. He focused his attention to the station doorway they just came from. The others turned their attention to the spot he was looking at. An armored figure was standing there, the red lights illuminating from his mask. It took Heather a moment to realize that this was the figure from her vision on Tatooine as the sensation of an unnatural cold she felt when she first saw him in her vision overwhelmed her.

The figure pulled out his lightsaber with his right hand and activated it, bathing his surroundings in a red glow as he began to walk towards Hammond. "Astrid, get the ship ready now!" Hammond exclaimed.

"It's just one Inquisitor, we can take him together." Astrid refuted, unaware of the danger.

"I'm no Inquisitor, I am Darth Insanus!" The figure, now known to them as Darth Insanus, declared. He thrust his left hand forward and sent out a Force push, knocking over everyone except Hammond, who cast his own hand out and made a shield with the Force. The shield prevented him from being knocked over, but he slid back a few feet and was forced onto a knee. Insanus leapt forward, using the Force to propel his jump, to close the distance and brought his lightsaber down on Hammond. Hammond brought his lightsaber up horizontally to block the blow. Hammond was successful with his block, but the power in Insanus's attack kept him on his knee. Insanus tried to attack with another overhead attack, but Hammond rolled out of the way. Insanus followed after him, attacking him relentlessly with a series of powerful two-handed attacks. Hammond attempted to counterattack, but Insanus's offense gave him no openings.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'll agree with Hammond on this one," Snotlout said as he got back up.

Astrid tried to counter that, but she couldn't think of anything. "Alright, get aboard the ship and prepare for liftoff." She ordered as she and the others boarded the ship, except for Heather and Guardian.

Guardian pulled out his vibro-sword and charged in, attempting a slash that would decapitate Insanus. Insanus had just pushed Hammond away from a saber block and blocked the attack with his lightsaber with one hand at first, but had to bring his second hand up to hold his lightsaber when he realized he underestimated the Trandoshan's strength. Insanus pushed Guardian off and began his offensive against Guardian. Guardian tried to hold him off, but Insanus landed a blow, striking him on the shoulder and leaving a small wound. Insanus then pushed him back with the Force, causing him to land on a box of empty crates. Hammond recovered and went for a stab, but Insanus grabbed his wrist and threw him to the side, landing near Guardian.

Insanus began to walk towards them but was interrupted when Heather attacked him on his left flank. Insanus dodged her first attack but had to bring his lightsaber up when Heather went on the offensive, using her double axe to strike quick blows. Her efforts paid off when she found an opening and capitalized one it. She used the first end of her axe to move Insanus's lightsaber and used her momentum to use the other end to slash his chest. She left a shallow cut on his chest, but it wasn't deep enough to get past his armor and strike at the flesh beneath. Insanus responded with an enraged scream, which sounded robotic to Heather because of the helmet, and went for an overhead attack. Heather dodged out of the way and ended up behind him. She went for a slash, but Insanus ducked and used the momentum to spin and land a kick to her stomach, sending her rolling back.

She began to stand up but then felt some invisible hand grab her neck and squeeze. She was lifted up and could see that Insanus had his hand reached out, using the Force to choke the life out of her. She brought her hands to her throat to try and relieve the pressure, but there was nothing there. The pressure on her neck began to increase as Insanus began to close his hand. "your determination is commendable, but it won't save you now Padawan." Insanus taunted, bring his lightsaber up with the intention of impaling her.

He jerked his hand back and she came sailing forward, but before he could kill her, Hammond came up behind him and he had to bring his lightsaber back to block the blow. Heather ended up landing on the ground a few feet from them, gasping for breath for her oxygen deprived lungs. When she found the strength, she brought herself to a sitting position and looked over to see Hammond and Guardian working together to attack Insanus. Heather looked up to see loose and decayed pipes at the top of the hanger, and this gave her an idea. Hammond looked back to Heather real quick after he rolled out of the way of one of Insanus's attacks. They made eye contact and Heather pointed out her plan with her eyes. Hammond got the idea and while Insanus was distracted by Guardian, Hammond used the Force to push him back. Insanus sailed back and landed underneath the pipes, then Heather reached out with the Force and loosened them from their perch on the hanger's ceiling.

Insanus looked up from his back to see the pipes falling towards him. He reached out and tried to catch the pipes with the Force. The pipes landed on his spot, seemingly killing him. Hammond and Guardian went over to Heather and helped her up, then the sound of screeching metal and clanking pipes got their attention. They could see Insanus lifting the pipes, still on his back and using both of his hands to channel the Force.

" _Red bladed hunter is difficult to kill,_ " Guardian stated.

"No kidding," Hammond responded before turning to the ship and heading in.

Insanus had just got the pipes off of him and out of the way when he noticed that the ship had gotten away. Insanus went into a rage and began throwing everything in the hanger with the Force, screaming like a maniac the entire time. When his rage died down, he realized that they were here for a reason. He headed inside to see what it was, and maybe discover where they were heading.

In _The Deadly Nadder's_ cockpit, Hammond was collapsed in his seat. He had his hands on his lap and was trying to catch his breath.

"Hammond, who was that Darth Insanus?" Astrid asked him, "He's not another Inquisitor, we know that." She reasoned.

"That was a Sith Lord, the ancient enemy of The Jedi Order," Hammond responded.

"What is a Sith?" Astrid asked, wanting to know more about this new threat.

"They were once Jedi who fell to the Dark Side and were exiled from the Order. Five thousand years ago, they returned and invaded the Republic with their own empire. This started a cycle of war between Jedi and Sith that we thought was over after the death of Darth Bane a thousand years ago." Hammond told them, summing up thousands of years of history.

"Thought they were gone?" Fishlegs questioned.

"During The Clone War, we learned that the Sith live by a Rule of Two, there can only be one Master and Apprentice at a time. The Separatists were led by the Apprentice, but we killed him shortly before the War ended." Hammond answered.

"So, is this Darth Insanus the Master?" Heather asked.

"No, I actually think Darth Insanus was once a Jedi." Hammond theorized.

"What makes you think that?" Snotlout asked.

"His move set was familiar like I fought with him before, and his fighting style used forms of fighting the Jedi learned," Hammond informed them, combing through his memories on who the Sith Lord could be.

"Well, we might have another Jedi to help us soon, we're almost to Dantooine now," Astrid announced to everyone.

Within hours, their viewport was greeted by the image of Dantooine, the vast, green, stretches of farmland dotted by blue seas could be seen from orbit. Astrid brought _The Deadly Nadder_ in for a landing at one of the planet's largest spaceports, Khoonda. Once they were on the ground, they walked out of the ship and prepared to split up.

"We'll split up and search this spaceport, we'll find information on out Jedi that way." Astrid reasoned, this place was far bigger than Mos Eisley was. "I'll go with Heather. Fishlegs will go with Snotlout, the twins will search together, and Guardian, BB-12, and Hammond will go together, understood?" She ordered, making sure that everyone, Snotlout and the twins, in particular, knew what they were doing. Everyone nodded and went on their way.

Before they left, Hammond got Guardian's attention, "Hey, I need you to hide this in your pack for me." He requested, holding his lightsaber out for him

" _You want to hide your lightsaber, but it is your mark as a Jedi, a mark of honor,_ " Guardian questioned, surprised at the request.

Hammond sighed, "I know, but we don't need anyone alerting the Empire that we're here." He reasoned. It was Guardian's turn to sigh, but he honored Hammond's request and hid the lightsaber in his pack.

The trio then went about searching the spaceport, but Hammond felt something pulling at him. It was the Force, it was calling to him. Hammond decided to follow it. Oddly enough, it led him out of the spaceport and into the open plains. As he walked, he closed his eyes and felt the Force around him. He could feel that this planet had endured many wars before, each of them leaving a mark on this world and a wound in the Force. He didn't know how long his eyes were closed, but when they opened he was in front of what looked like a ruined building. With Guardian's help, he managed to get the door open. It looked like this place had been abandoned for thousands of years. That was when it came to him; this was once a Jedi Training Enclave, the same Enclave where Exar Kun and Revan were once trained before they fell to the Dark Side.

Once inside, Guardian returned his lightsaber to him and they continued on their way, but it felt like they were being watched. A few paces into the dark, Hammond activated his lightsaber and pointed it towards a spot. In this spot was a black-furred Wookie with his hands raised in defense.

But Hammond recognized this Wookie, "Toothless?" Hammond questioned as he deactivated his lightsaber, earning an affirmative roar from said Wookie. Toothless then ran forward and enveloped him in a bone crushing hug. "Oh, those are my ribs." Hammond moaned, short of breath from the suffocating hug.

Toothless dropped Hammond and began communicating with him, using his species language of barks, growls, grunts, and roars. "It's good to see you to big guy." Hammond responded before a thought crossed his mind, "Wait…if you're here…then where's Hiccup?" He asked him.

Toothless ran into the enclave, signaling them to follow him. After going down a few halls, they came across an open area with ruined Jedi statues in it, and a hooded figure kneeling in front of them. Hammond approached the figure with slow and cautious steps, unsure of how they would react. It's obvious he wasn't quiet as the figure rose and turned to him as he got within a few meters of him.

The figure removed his hood to reveal a human male, about two years younger than Hammond, with auburn hair, emerald eyes, and a small scar on the right side of his chin.

"Hiccup," Hammond said, his voice breathless to see his best friend again.

"Hammond?" Hiccup responded, his voice taking a tone of disbelief. He began walking towards Hammond, looking at him like he had seen a ghost. Once he was within a few feet of Hammond, he just stood there and looked at him with stunned eyes

"It's been some time, old friend," Hammond spoke up, a relieved and happy smile on his face. Hiccup's face broke out in the same smile and he grabbed Hammond in a hug, to which Hammond hugged him back.

Two brothers, not by blood but by bond, were reunited.

* * *

 **Author' Note**

 **I've hoped you learned your lesson HufflePufforlife; make unreasonable demands like you did to bring something in early and out of schedule because YOU wanted it, I give you cliffhangers when it arrives.**

 **To those who waited patiently; HICCUP'S HERE FOLKS.**

 **To the Guest Reviewers gave me suggestions for Hiccup's lightsaber color and armor; Sorry, but I have his gear all planned out. Your suggestions won't be used. Sorry to disappoint you.**

 **To the Guest Reviewer named Spike; contact me on this site of on Tumblr (It's on my profile) I would love to see what fan art you draw.**

 **Please leave any constructive criticisms in your reviews, and I hope you have enjoyed this chapter.**


	7. Chapter 7- Old Friends, New Enemies

Chapter 7- Old Friend, New Enemies

* * *

Astrid and Heather were walking through the spaceport's markets. So far their search for information on their elusive Jedi had been fruitless. "Any luck on your end guys?" Astrid asked through her communicator.

"Nothing on our end Astrid." She heard Fishlegs report.

"We found some awesome blasters here!" Tuffnut yelled with excitement into his communicator.

"Who knew a bunch of farmers had awesome weapons," Ruffnut added in.

"Focus on the task at hand guys, you can worry about blowing yourselves up when we get back to the fleet." Astrid ordered, "Hammond, any luck on your end?" She asked only to receive static.

"That's odd, is Hammond's communicator broken?" Heather asked as she listened to the static.

"Maybe, or maybe he can't respond right now." Astrid responded, "He might be in a place that messes with communication signals." She reasoned, thinking on what the most logical reason would be.

"Yeah, that would make sense." Heather agreed with, slightly relieved that there was a reason Hammond wouldn't respond without being in danger.

Astrid seemed to notice the change in her expression and decided to press an issue she had noticed in the past few weeks, "OK, this is something I have to ask; what is up with you?" She asked.

This caught Heather off guard as she gave Astrid a confused look, "What do you mean?" She asked in response.

"Ever since Hammond arrived you've been…shy, and unsure of yourself," Astrid explained, trying to find out why her best friend was acting so strange.

"Well…uh…It's because of my Jedi training, it's different than what I'm used to." Heather tried to explain, but ended up stuttering at the beginning trying to find an answer.

"But before this, you always handled new things head on, now you're hesitant." Astrid pointed out.

"You can't take learning about the Force head on, it requires looking at things from a new perspective." Heather reasoned.

"Really?" Astrid asked curiously.

"Yeah, Hammond's been really good at helping me through this," Heather said, her face drifted off for a moment when Hammond's name crossed her lips.

Astrid noticed this change and thought back to the past three weeks. Heather seemed to act differently around Hammond, she seemed more nervous and unsure of what to do. That was when it hit her, "So what's going on between you and Hammond?" She asked her inquisitively.

Heather snapped out of her thoughts and looked up to her, "Nothing, we're just friends, and he's teaching me how to become a Jedi." She defended quickly, hoping Astrid wouldn't notice her blush.

But Astrid did notice and decided to share some information she heard in the fleet with Heather as a mischievous smile crossed her face, "Really?" She asked innocently at first, "That's interesting because I heard what some of the women back at the fleet were saying. They were all talking about how handsome Hammond is." She informed her, maintaining her innocent demeanor.

"I guess if you're into that unassuming, humble, Jedi type." Heather stammered, trying to sound casual.

"So you do like him," Astrid concluded, crossing her arms across her chest with a pleased look.

"I guess I do, I just don't know in what way I like him," Heather admitted, confusion on her face.

"Let's start with what do you like about him," Astrid suggested.

"Well he's not Snotlout, that's a plus." Heather began, sharing a laugh with Astrid. "So he doesn't flirt with me. He's kind, always helping out when he can. He never boasts or tries to act like a hero for the attention. He's protective, but not in an overpowering way like he knows I can protect myself as well. He also makes sure I want to be a Jedi, he's not forcing me into it. He's also funny, especially when he tells stories from his early Jedi training" Heather listed off, a dreamy smile on her face.

Astrid decided to take this moment to tease her, "Well don't worry Heather, I don't think he's interested in finding another girl to date."

Heather shared a laugh with her, but it faded away as she remembered something. "But it wouldn't happen anyway." She muttered.

"Why do you say that?" Astrid asked with confusion.

Heather sighed before giving the answer, "Because the Jedi Code forbids attachments, especially romantic ones." She informed her.

"Why would they do that?" Astrid questioned with disbelief.

"Hammond says that the Jedi believe that attachments lead to the Dark Side, that they cause dark emotions like selfishness, jealousy, possessiveness, anger, and fear of loss" Heather answered, listing off all the negatives with her fingers.

"That seems a little pessimistic to me," Astrid concluded.

"I know, and Hammond actually agrees with that." Heather told her, "He's told me of times where Jedi formed attachments, some romantic, and came out stronger for it. So he doesn't fully believe in that part of the code." She finished, feeling slightly hopeful.

"Well, I guess you'll have to wait and see." Astrid advised her, "Let's get back to finding this Jedi." She told her as they resumed their task.

* * *

"…and so that's how I got here," Hammond said as he his explanation. Hiccup and Hammond were currently sitting on a ruined bench and were telling each other what they had done the past two years. So far only Hammond was telling his story while Hiccup listened. Hammond told him about the attack on the Temple, ending up on Tatooine, meeting the Rebel Alliance and his parents, training Heather, and his encounter with Darth Insanus and his Inquisitors.

Hiccup was just listening in stunned silence, clinging to every word. "Wow…that's, that's impressive." Hiccup admitted, surprised at how much his friend had gone through.

"So what about you, how did you survive?" Hammond asked him, curious to how his best friend ended up on Dantooine in the ruins of an old Jedi Enclave.

Hiccup sighed for a minute and brought his hands to his face, debating on if he wanted to tell his story. But he decided that since Hammond had told him his story, he deserved the same in return. "We were betrayed, I ended up losing my leg as a result." Hiccup began, slightly pulling his left boot off to reveal a prosthetic leg that started halfway between his ankle and knee, causing Hammond's eyes to widen. "Fortunately, Toothless helped me escape. We stole an impounded freighter and just began wondering until we ended up here." Hiccup finished putting his boot back into place.

"Why did you end up here?" Hammond asked, truly curious about why Hiccup came here.

Hiccup took a moment to think up his answer, "I don't know, I just felt something calling me here." He answered.

Hammond took a minute to process this, then decided to press an issue that stood out to him. "Hiccup, what do you mean we were betrayed? It couldn't have been the Clones." Hammond asked.

"We were betrayed by Supreme Chancellor Drago Bludvist." Hiccup began, "Hammond, Drago is the Sith Lord we were looking for." He finished as he stood up.

Hammond stood up as well, staring at Hiccup, who had his back turned to him, in shock. "Drago…but…how could he do this?" He asked in shock and confusion.

"He had help, we were betrayed by one of our own as well," Hiccup added in.

Hammond snapped his head to look at him. "What?" He asked in disbelief, "But who would betray us?"

Hiccup sighed before answering, trying to hold down his anger at the thought of the traitor's name, "It was…" He began, but stopped and looked up all of a sudden. Hammond did the same thing and the two Jedi looked off into the sky. Toothless and Guardian, who were standing a short distant away, just looked at each other and shrugged in confusion. BB-12 began to beep, expressing fear and concern.

Hammond continue to look into the sky as Hiccup walked up next to him, "Do you sense that?" Hammond asked Hiccup.

Hiccup eyes steeled in determination as he looked up into the distance, "Yes, I sense it too." He answered the anger could be heard in his voice if Hammond was listening closely. They could both sense it, a dark presence entering the planet's atmosphere.

Darth Insanus was here.

* * *

Astrid and Heather continued their trek through the spaceport. As they did, they noticed everyone around them was looking up at the sky. They joined the crowd and looked up as well. To their shock and horror, a Star Destroyer was entering the atmosphere and was already deploying TIE Fighters and landing ships. The TIEs began to open fire on the spaceport as they got in range, striking their defense turrets and causing chaos as the people ran for cover. Imperial landing craft descended onto the ground. Once there, their boarding hatches opened and Stormtroopers came flooding out, opening fire as they did. The local militia tried to fight back, firing at the Stormtroopers as they left their ships, but their inferior training and equipment only resulted in a swift end.

Astrid and Heather broke out into a sprint, heading for the ship. "Everyone, get to _The Deadly Nadder_ now!" Astrid yelled into the comm as she ran.

Heather was right behind, ducking, dodging and weaving through the chaos as they ran. "What about Hammond, Guardian, and BB-12? We haven't been able to contact them." Heather brought up while running.

"We'll find them after we get to the ship," Astrid responded back, pulling out her blaster pistol to blast a Stormtrooper in their way. Heather looked to her left and saw a squad of Stormtroopers approaching. She responded to this threat by pulling out her blaster pistol and opening fire as she ran, striking a few of them and forcing others to take cover.

While they were running, an explosion rang out and caused them to stumble as the ground shook. They looked up to see a mushroom cloud emerge as debris rain downed on the surrounding area. "Well, we know where the twins are," Heather stated, sounding like she wasn't surprised.

Sure enough, they saw the twins running towards them, their blaster rifles in their hands and an excited look on their faces, as they fired at Stormtroopers. "Did you guys see that?" Ruffnut asked excitedly.

"That was awesome," Tuffnut added, sharing his twin's excitement.

"You can appreciate it later, let's go," Astrid ordered, focusing on getting back to the ship.

Within a few paces, they saw Fishlegs and Snotlout join them, emerging from the chaos on their left flank. "How did the Empire know we were here?" Snotlout asked after he recovered from laying down suppressing fire.

"They must have gone into the tracking station and found the coordinates." Fishlegs theorized.

Astrid looked back to him, "We can figure it out later, the ships up ahead." She told him, then looking back in front of her to see _The Deadly Nadder_ waiting for them. They stopped a few meters in front of the ship when the heard the screeching sound of TIE Fighter engines in the distance. They looked behind the ship to see a group of TIE Bombers ready to make their attack. Realizing their intention, the group began to run away from the ship just before the Bombers make their attack. The Bombers fired their proton torpedoes and they found their mark, _The Deadly Nadder_ being blown to bits as the torpedoes ripped through her hull and a shockwave sent the gang flying, each of them hitting the ground hard.

Astrid eyes fluttered open, but the ringing in her head made it difficult to focus on anything. When she regained her focus and brought her head up, she could see that an Imperial Shuttle had landed among the wreckage of _The Deadly Nadder_. She could see Darth Insanus and a number of Stormtroopers taking the gang captive. Darth Insanus was hovering over Heather's unconscious form, observing her before the troops took her away. Astrid reached for a blaster pistol from the corpse of a militia. As she stood up, she took aim and opened fire.

Insanus immediately pulled out and activated his lightsaber, deflecting the shots with ease. He then reached out with his hand and Astrid froze in place. Astrid's eyes widened and looked around in surprise, unable to move any other muscles. Four Stormtroopers came over, relieved her of her weapon, then placed her hands in cuffs behind her back. Once she was secure, Insanus released her from his grip and the Stormtroopers took her to the ship, but she was fighting back the entire time.

A Stormtrooper with an orange pad over his left shoulder came up to Darth Insanus, "Search the spaceport and the surrounding area. I want Hammond alive Commander," he ordered.

"Yes my lord," the Stormtrooper commander responded with a salute and carried out his orders. Darth Insanus walk to his ship, intent on interrogating his captives once aboard his Star Destroyer.

* * *

From a safe distance away on top of a hill, Hammond and Hiccup had watched this happen through their macrobinoculars, unable to do anything otherwise. They watched as the shuttle with Darth Insanus and his captives took off and headed for the Star Destroyer.

"We need to do something," Hammond announced.

"There's nothing we can do." Hiccup lamented, looking down with a depressed look on his face.

Hammond nearly dropped his macrobinoculars in shock as he looked over to him, "What did you just say?" He asked.

Hiccup looked back to him, "There's nothing we can do. They're the Empire's prisoners now." He told him, continuing to look down in shame.

"Who are you and what did you do with the Hiccup I know?" Hammond asked in disbelief.

"Hammond, the Order's gone, and our presence here has endangered everyone. We're better off in hiding." Hiccup countered.

Hammond just scoffed at this, "My friends are in danger, my Padawan is in danger, and I won't stay here and let the Empire take them." He began, "Listen to me, I was the exact same way when I was on Tatooine. I thought by hiding I would be keeping people safe, but I was wrong Hiccup, we can make a difference. Now, I know you already have a plan for this kind of thing, you always do. Please Hiccup, we need you to come back." Hammond pleaded, laying his hand on Hiccup's shoulder.

Hiccup face looked away, deep in thought. After a minute, he relented, "Alright, I'll help you." He told Hammond, who smiled at the news. "And I think I have a plan." He said and ran off to the spaceport with Toothless in tow.

Hammond just watched him run by as a nostalgic smile crossed his face, "Now that's the Hiccup I know." He muttered to himself.

It didn't take them long to get to the spaceport, but there were patrols all over the place. Fortunately, the group was well versed in the art of stealth and avoided detection. Within minutes, they were on the roof of a hanger, looking down on a lone Imperial Shuttle and two Stormtroopers guarding it.

"Perfect." Hiccup said as he looked on, laying on his stomach on his perch.

Hammond crawled up next to him, determined to find out what was on his mind. "Alright, what's this plan of yours and how does it involve a shuttle and two Stormtroopers?" He asked, wondering what crazy plan he had come up with this time.

Hiccup turned to look at him, "It's simple; we take their uniforms, disguise ourselves as Stormtroopers, then fly the ship to the Star Destroyer, and find your friends." Hiccup summarized.

Hammond raised an eyebrow at this, "Really?" He asked.

Hiccup just smirked at him, "Really." He responded.

"So we pretend to be Stormtroopers, fly there and land, hope they didn't suspect a thing, and just walk in?" He questioned, finding this plan to be one of craziest given the circumstances.

Hiccup's smirk stayed on his face as he listened to Hammond's ramblings. "Basically." He confirmed.

Hammond just sighed, know that they didn't have any other options. "Then let's get started, we need to get those uniforms." He said, looking back to the Stormtroopers below them. They needed to find a way to get those uniforms without raising an alarm. While the two began to discuss plans with each other, Guardian pulled out his sniper rifle. He pulled out a special ammo clip and loaded it into his rifle. He took aim in his rifles scopes, aiming for their necks where the armor was weak. He pulled the trigger twice, firing two kyber darts at the Stormtroopers without making a sound. The darts hit the two men in the neck and they collapsed, dead within seconds.

Hammond and Hiccup just looked over and stared at Guardian is shock, they were not expecting that. " _Hunter must take the shot when given the opportunity or prey will escape._ " He told them. Toothless just growled at him in disagreement. Hammond rolled his eyes and followed Hiccup as he began his climb down.

Hiccup approached the bodies and inspected the armor on them. "This will work. We need to get these uniforms on quick and dispose of the bodies. We can thank the trigger happy Trandoshan for that." He said as looked back at them, giving Guardian a disapproving look at the end.

"Well now that we have that settled, what about those two?" Hammond asked pointing to Toothless and Guardian. "I don't think the Empire has a uniform their size." He joked, earning an angry growl from Toothless.

"Toothless and Guardian will head to my ship and be ready to fly us out if things go wrong after they dispose of these bodies of course while BB-12 will come with us disguised as an Imperial droid," Hiccup answered, ignoring Guardian's protests.

The two complied and began to remove the armor off of the Stormtroopers. "So, you said you have a ship." Hammond brought up.

"Yep, I…borrowed it from some smugglers escaping Coruscant," Hiccup admitted.

Hammond just gave him a blank stare, "So, you stole it." Hammond concluded.

Hiccup just gave him a sheepish look, "Uh, maybe." He confessed.

Hammond just gave him an understanding look, "Well, it got you here now. Just hope that the previous owner doesn't find you." He told him as he continued with his task.

* * *

Heather's eyes fluttered open, but all she saw was red and black. Once she gained her bearings, she realized she was in an Imperial cell, suspended off the ground by her hands in some kind of energy field. Her arms and legs were kept separated, the shackles on her wrists and ankles were in tuned with the energy field, keeping her in place. The door to her cell opened and she looked to see Darth Insanus walk in with two Stormtroopers and a technician walk following him in.

Insanus got within a few feet and her and just looked at her, his helmet sending chills up her spine. It was like he was looking into her soul, but she gave him a defiant look. She wouldn't be intimidated so easily. "Comfortable, Padawan?" He asked her in mock sincerity. Heather didn't respond, she just kept giving him a look of silent defiance. "I guess it'll be the silent treatment then?" He asked her, only to continuing receiving Heather's defiant look, "We'll see how long that lasts." He concluded in a threatening tone.

He let loose a stream of Force lightning from his hands, causing Heather to scream from the pain. After shocking her for a few moments, he relented, allowing Heather to take deep breaths to deal with the pain. "My Lord?" The technician spoke up from behind Insanus sheepishly, "May I do what you brought me here for? I can be in and out in a minute and leave you to your interrogation." He asked, earning a silent nod from Insanus.

The technician went about his work, sticking a needle into Heather's arm and drawing blood. "What are you doing?" Heather asked as the technician left the room.

"Testing your blood, seeing if you have any other family out there we are unaware of …Heather." Insanus answered, revealing that he knew her name.

Heather's breath caught in her throat, "How do you know my name?" She asked, uncertainty in her voice.

Insanus seemed more than willing to answer, "We know who you are; you were once an inhabitant of the planet of Berk before the Empire arrived. A shame about what happened to you parents. Now, you're one of the Rebellion's most decorated pilots, soldiers, and now the Padawan to a coward who abandoned his own order instead of defend it." He taunted her.

"Hammond is not a coward." Heather defended, "And he will come for us." She was certain of this.

Instead of being intimidated, Insanus began to laugh. "Oh, I'm continuing on it. And when he does, he will die. A failure in death as he was in life." He told her, savoring the fear and anger that began to come off of her with every word. "But we have plenty of time before he arrives so I'll ask you this; why are you on Dantooine." He asked, getting face to face with her in an attempt at intimidation.

Heather resumed her defiance look and said, "I'll never tell you."  
Insanus let out a light chuckle, "We'll see about that." He informed her, before shocking her with Force lightning again, causing her screams could be heard down the hall.

* * *

Within a few hours, Hammond and Hiccup were ready to go. Toothless and Guardian had disposed of the bodies and left for Hiccup's ship, awaiting the signal in case things went bad. BB-12 was painted to look like an Imperial Droid, his orange markings were now black with some red. They had modified the armor so their Jedi robes could fit beneath it, minus Hammond's armor and Hiccup's cloak. They also modified their armor so they could hide their lightsabers in a compartment on their belts.

But that didn't mean it was comfortable. "This armor is complete junk." Hammond complained, "I can barely move." He said this as he tried to move around the cockpit, his movements stiff as a board.

Hiccup looked up from his piloting and let out an amused chuckle, "Looks like you gained some weight on Tatooine." He teased, giving him another one of those smirks, the kind that was responsible for thirty percent of Hammond's headaches as a Padawan.

Hammond looked back over to Hiccup in offense and approached him, "At least I know how to wear it." He pointed out while fixing one of Hiccup's shoulder pad that was loose, he didn't exactly fit in the armor either.

Hiccup just shook his head and continued flying, they were approaching the Star Destroyer now. "Shuttle two-six-nine this Docking Command, you're an hour behind schedule. What seems to be the problem?" A voice hailed them.

Hammond opened the comm and deepened his voice, "Sorry about that Docking Command, one of our stabilizers was loose. We had to fix it real quick" He told him.

"But you just had an inspection a few days ago," Command told them, confusion in his voice.

Hiccup and Hammond looked to each other real quick, unsure of how to respond, but Hammond came up with an excuse, "Looks like they missed something, you know how the battlefield is. Anything can happen." He told them.

"Don't we all?" Was the response they earned, causing them to look at each other in surprise. "Send us your docking codes," Command ordered them. Hiccup sent them the docking codes and they went in for a landing.

Once they set down, they head to the boarding ramp and placed their helmets on. "I can't see a thing with this helmet on." Hammond pointed out, adjusting the helmet so he could actually see. Seriously, why did Stormtroopers wear this stuff?

When they were down the ramp, a deck officer approached them. "Good to see you're finally here. We'll take things from here, you're dismissed." He told them. Hammond and Hiccup nodded and ventured into the Star Destroyer.

"I told you this would work." Hiccup said to him as they walked down a hall.

Hammond just sighed before speaking up, "Hiccup, all you're plans look perfect on paper. It's the unexpected development that will happen and disrupt your plan I'm worried about."

"That's when we improvised," Hiccup responded.

"I knew you were going to say that," Hammond muttered.

The trio continued walking down the hall until they found a terminal BB-12 could hook into. "Do your thing little guy." Hiccup told him. BB-12 beeped and chirped at him as he performed his task. Within seconds, he had what they were looking for.

"They're all in the detention area, Heather's in a secure wing, but the others are in minimum security," Hammond said as BB-12 gave them the information.

"We'll get the others first, then we'll rescue Heather." Hiccup told him. With this new knowledge, they walked down the hall and headed to the detention area.

* * *

Insanus had just finished shocking Heather with another bout of Force lightning. He was getting frustrated, she wouldn't tell him a thing. "This would be so much easier if you just answered my questions." He yelled at her in frustration.

Heather looked up at him, barely conscious from the pain and the torture. "I'll never talk." She told him.

Insanus prepared to shock her again, but an officer walked into the cell. "My lord, there's a transmission for you." The officer informed him.

Insanus turned around to look the officer in the eye, "Can't you see I'm busy here?" He screamed at him.

"It's from the Emperor my lord, he requests you contact him immediately." The officer responded, trying to sound cool and collected.

Insanus straightened up, surprised that his master was contacting him now. "Very well, I'll contact him immediately." He said as he left the cell, leaving Heather alone to drift in and out of consciousness.

* * *

Astrid was sitting in her cell with the others. They were all deposited there immediately after they were brought aboard, but Heather was separated from them. She was trying to think of a way out of this cell, but there were two guards standing outside the door. "I know, we tunnel through the bottom of our cell." Tuffnut blurted out, also trying to think of a way out.

Everyone just stared at him in shock and disbelief before dismissing that idea. Finally, a plan came to Astrid's mind. "Snotlout, stand next to the door, Fishlegs, get ready to call the guards." She ordered them. They had a confused look, but they complied and went to their spots. Astrid approached Ruffnut and whispered her plan in her ear. Ruffnut grinned once she heard the plan and immediately tacked her brother, starting another one of their brawls.

Fishlegs realized what her plan was when she stood next to the door, opposite of Snotlout. He immediately started banging on the door, "Guards, they're fighting each other. We need your help to stop them. Darth Insanus wouldn't appreciate his prisoners killing each other." He yelled out to them. Sure enough, the door opened and the two guards came in with guns raised. They took aim at the twins, but Astrid and Snotlout grabbed them from behind and snapped their necks. Their bodies crumpled to the ground as Snotlout and Astrid relieved them of their weapons.

Astrid looked up to see the twins still fighting with each other. "Break them up, I'll secure the hall." She ordered Snotlout and Fishlegs. Once she stepped out of the hall, she saw two Stormtroopers run around a corner and towards her. She immediately brought her stolen Imperial weapon up and opened fire, but she didn't realize the weapon was set for stun. Instead of normal laser fire, two blue rings of energy were fired and hit the two Stormtroopers, causing them to fall backward.

Snotlout, having just broken up the twin's fighting, emerged from the cell to see this happen. "Why did you stun them?" He asked her as the others gathered behind him.

"I didn't know it was on stun." She told him honestly. Suddenly, a string of beeps and chirps caught their attention, and they looked down the hall to see what looked like BB-12, with black and red instead of orange, hovering around one of the Stormtroopers. "BB-12, but that would mean…" Astrid began, before running up to the Stormtrooper on the right while Fishlegs went to the one on the left.

Astrid took the helmet off and was greeted by the face of a man her age with auburn hair, emerald eyes, and a light scar on his chin. She couldn't stop herself from staring, observing every feature, such as the light sprinkling of freckles on his cheeks. Movement to her left caught her attention as she saw Fishlegs remove the helmet from the other Stormtrooper, revealing Hammond's face.

Astrid was at a loss for words for a moment before she gathered her thoughts, "What the…who are you, and what are you doing here?" She asked him.

Hiccup, still in a daze after being stunned, was slow to respond. When his eyes finally met Astrid's, he felt like he was stunned again. He observed her, taking in her sky blue eyes, golden hair, and a few freckles on her face. Hiccup had been from one side of the galaxy to the other, but he had never seen a woman as beautiful as the one in front of him. "Uh…we uh." He stuttered, unable to form a sentence right now.

"We came to rescue you." Hammond said, interrupting their thoughts, "What happened?" He asked them, referring to why they were stunned.

The gang was silent for a moment, trying to think up their response. But Snotlout beat them to the punch. "Astrid shot both of you with a stun blast." He told them bluntly.

Hammond and Hiccup looked to Snotlout in confusion. To back up this claim, BB-12 played a holorecording of Astrid shooting them, repeating it several times. After watching it, the news finally hit Hiccup, "You shot us. I can't believe you actually shot us." Hiccup accused.

Astrid just looked at him in surprise, "Well I didn't know it was you. You two were wearing those uniforms." She told him, irritation in her voice.

"Ugh this armor is useless, it doesn't protect you from anything, and don't get me started on the helmets," Hammond complained as he and Hiccup got up.

"Well, it was the only way to sneak aboard this ship." Hiccup countered.

Astrid just brought her hands to her face, as if the twins bickering was bad enough. "Will you two shut up, you can complain about the armor later. First off; who are you?" She asked Hiccup, still unaware of who he is.

"I guess we should get that out of the way." Hiccup agreed with, "My name is Hiccup, and I'm a Jedi Knight." He introduced himself with.

Everyone was stunned into silence, "Wait, as in Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, the son of Stoick and Valka Haddock?" Fishlegs asked breathlessly.

"Yes, that Hiccup." Hammond answered for him, "But we can continue introductions after we get Heather and are off of this ship." He interjected.

"You're right. The longer we stay here, more difficult getting off this ship will be." Astrid added in.

"Heather's been moved to a secure wing. We can grab your gear, get out of these uniforms, and rescue her. Agreed?" Hiccup announced, earning a nod from the group. With a plan in motion, they made their way to their next destination.

* * *

Darth Insanus was kneeling in front of a hologram of his master, Emperor Drago Bludvist, or Darth Furious as he was also known to his apprentice and a few others. Drago was in a large, black cloak and hood, only the right side of his body and part of his chin could be seen. "Once the Jedi is dead, bring the Padawan to me, she may have some uses to us." He ordered his apprentice in a raspy and deep voice.

"And what of her companions?" Insanus asked.

"Extract every bit of information on the Rebellion from them as you can. Use any methods you deem necessary, then kill them." He told his apprentice before his image vanished. Once the image was gone, Insanus stood up and began giggling to himself, thinking of all of the painful ways he could extract the information from them.

His thoughts were interrupted by an officer running into the room. "My lord, we've lost contact with the detention area." The officer spoke to him in haste.

Insanus turned looked at him, "What?" He screamed at the officer.

"We've lost contact with the detention area. Our last report from that sector indicated that two Jedi knights have broken the Rebels out and are on their way to free the Padawan." The officer informed him, praying that the Sith wouldn't talk his anger out in him.

Insanus's response was immediate, "Divert all forces to the hanger and lock down all ships. No one leaves this ship without my permission. No one is to kill the Jedi, I will deal with them myself."

* * *

Hiccup deflected and redirected blaster fire with ease, his green blade humming, and hissing through the air. His lightsaber's hilt was decorated with dark highlights and the image of a night fury, a creature from his home planet's history he was always fascinated with, was in his hands once again. He charged forward, Astrid and Snotlout giving him cover fire, and worked his way down the hall towards the Stormtroopers who were using the sides of the halls as cover.

He was no longer in his Stormtrooper disguise, he and Hammond had ditched the uniforms after they retrieved the gang's gear and were now in their Jedi robes. He redirected a bolt that caught a Stormtrooper in the head and thrust his lightsaber into the abdomen of another. He then threw his lightsaber towards three Stormtroopers who were running down the hall towards them, slashing all three of them in the chest as the lightsaber sailed through the air and back to his hands.

Astrid scowled at this, those were her kills he stole. She had just taken aim and was ready to fire when he did that. He must be showing off. Hiccup deactivated his lightsaber just as Hammond, who was protecting the rear, ran ahead of him. He could sense that Heather was nearby. He ran up to a cell door, this was it.

Hiccup walked up next to him, "Door's locked, see if you can…" He called out but was interrupted when Hammond pulled the door out of place with the Force. Once it was out of the way, he went into the cell. "Or you could just do that," Hiccup muttered.

Hammond walked into the cell to see Heather suspended in an energy field. He pulled out his lightsaber and destroyed the source, releasing Heather from the field as her cuffs came off and she fell forward into Hammond's arms, barely conscious. "Heather?" Hammond asked her as he cupped her face.

Heather's eyes fluttered open to see Hammond's face, "What took you so long?" She asked.

Hammond let out a sigh of relief, "I was catching up with an old friend, but I'm here now." He reassured her, stroking her face as she leaned into his hand. Her eyes fluttered closed as Hammond picked her up bridal style, allowing her to rest her head on his chest. "Let's get out of here." He announced as he walked out.

"You know if your arms get tired, I'll hold her for you." Snotlout offered, only to be ignored by Hammond, leaving Snotlout fuming.

The group snuck their way through the ship, heading to the hanger that Hiccup, Hammond, and BB-12 came in. To their surprise, the halls were empty, not a patrol in sight.

"Something's not right here," Hammond announced, adjust his grip so Heather could be comfortable. She was too weak from the torture to walk and was drifting in and out of consciousness.

"Maybe everyone went on break." Tuffnut guessed.

"Or they're watching a pod race," Ruffnut added.

Whatever the reason was, Hiccup felt something was off. He could sense the Dark Side growing with every step. They finally arrived at the hanger and walked in, but the lights seemed to be dim. Once they cleared the door, it shut and locked behind them. The lights brighten back up to reveal that the shuttle they arrived in was gone.

And ten meters in front of them was Darth Insanus.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I have given you guys three lightsaber duels in a row. I can't spoil you guys now can I?**

 **I have broken over one hundred reviews and four thousand views, you guys are amazing.**

 **Please leave any constructive criticisms in your reviews, and I hope you have enjoyed this chapter.**


	8. Chapter 8- Duel of the Fates

Chapter 8- Duel of the Fates

* * *

The group was silent as they stared at the form of Darth Insanus, not bothering to think of how he found out they were here. Hiccup quickly pushed a button on the communicator, alerting Toothless they need a ride, placed on his belt, and then grabbed his lightsaber with his right hand. He stared back at the traitor, trying to keep back his anger as he felt a phantom pain where his lower leg once was, grimacing as the memory played out in his head. It was him, he felt the tremor in the Force. The last time he felt it was two years ago when the Order was betrayed. Hammond noticed his friend's change of demeanor with worry. He handed Heather over to Fishlegs, despite Snotlout's silent offer when he held his arms out and grabbed his lightsaber as well. The two walked forward about five meters, the gang keeping a few meters behind them.

Darth Insanus looked at the two Jedi, shocked and pleased at the same time at who it was. "Well, well, well." He began, "Look what the rancor dragged in. I wasn't expecting to see you again, Hiccup." Darth Insanus then looked over to Hammond, "Don't think I haven't forgotten about you Hammond, it was very rude to run out on our last meeting." He added in with an irritated tone.

Hammond just shrugged at that last comment, "What can I say, my ride was leaving." He quipped, then sending him a glare of his own once he finished. He knew this man was responsible for Heather's condition.

Insanus just laughed at that response, "So I noticed, taking the coward's way out just like back at the Jedi Temple." He said, "I saw the footage, I wondered how you escaped me the first time." He continued on.

Hammond's eyes widened, "You were there." He muttered in shock.

"Of course I was." Insanus responded before looking back at Hiccup, "But Hiccup knew what was about to happen and he tried to stop it but failed. Speaking of which, how's your leg doing?" He taunted, causing Hiccup's glare to increase as the anger bubbled inside him and he clenched his fist.

Hammond stood there in confusion. It sounded like Insanus knew them at one point. "Who are you beneath that mask?" He asked him.

Darth Insanus stood there for a moment, thinking of his response. Finally, he reached up and removed the mask, revealing a human male in his early to mid-twenties with short red hair, a short beard, a few scars on his face, Sith tattoos, and glowing yellow eyes.

Hammond's eyes widened when he looked at the face of an old friend. "Dagur?" He questioned in shocked disbelief.

"It's Darth Insanus now." Dagur corrected, his voice filled with anger. "Dagur was weak, so I destroyed him." He added in.

Hammond looked over to Hiccup, "Why didn't you tell me this?" He asked him.

"I was interrupted before I could tell you and we had more important things to worry about," Hiccup answered, breaking his lock from Dagur. "And I didn't think we would encounter him." He added in sheepishly.

"Oh Hiccup, so full of excuses." Dagur chuckled menacingly. The gang was watching this conversation with renewed interest now, even Heather who was struggling to stay conscious.

"Enough." Hiccup snapped, "You betrayed us all and nearly destroyed the Order. You will pay for that!" He declared, earning surprised looks from everyone.

Dagur laughed at this in amusement, "Revenge is not the Jedi Way, Hiccup." He told him in a tone that mocked the Jedi Code.

Hiccup just glared at him and activated his lightsaber, "It will not be revenge. It will be justice!" He declared, preparing for battle. Hammond also activated his lightsaber, holding out in front of him. The rest of the gang behind them, minus Fishlegs who was still holding Heather, prepared for a fight.

Dagur let a smile form on his face, "Well this should be fun." He said, then looked to the gang behind them. "Sorry, but this is a fight between me and my 'brothers'," He told them, emphasizing the titles he gave Hiccup and Hammond. "But don't worry, I'll deal with you when I'm done these two, especially you Heather." He added in.

Hammond just tightened the grip on his lightsaber, "You will not touch her." He warned him.

"Oh, did I touch a nerve?" Dagur sneered, "No matter, they'll be too busy to help you." He finished as he pushed a button on his gauntlet. Doors in the floor on their right and left flanks slid open to reveal a platform rising to their level, each platform had several squads of Stormtroopers on it, ready for battle. The Stormtroopers opened fire on the gang, to which they reacted by looking for cover and firing back. Dagur grabbed his lightsaber and activated it, but he did have to wait as Hiccup charged in with a thrust. Dagur blocked this attack and brought his blade up to block a blow from Hammond's lightsaber.

Astrid and the gang ran for cover, heading to a stack of crates near the end of the hanger where the shuttle once was. They jumped over the crates and used them for cover, crouching low to avoid blaster fire. Fishlegs had set Heather down, letting her lean against the crate they were hiding behind, before grabbing his blaster pistol and return fire.

Snotlout let off a series of suppressing fire with his heavy repeating blaster, striking a few Stormtroopers and causing the others to take cover. "So, what do we do now?" He asked when he took cover again.

Astrid ducked behind her crate as a bolt sailed over her head, then leaned over the right side of her crate and returned fire, striking a Stormtrooper in the chest. "We'll figure something out." She answered him, still trying to come up with a plan.

Fishlegs yelped as a bolt hit his crate, "Chances of survival are dwindling to single digits now!" He informed them in a panicked voice.

Astrid looked over to see that the twins were peaking over their crate every once in a while, not bothering to fire at the Stormtroopers on the other side of the hanger. They were watching something else with an awed look. "What are you two doing?" She asked in an irritated tone.

Ruffnut looked over to her, "We're enjoying the show." She told her while pointing to over where Hiccup and Hammond were fighting Dagur.

Dagur went for an overhead attack that Hammond dodged, then brought his blade up to counter Hiccup's attack. He sent Hiccup flying back with a Force push, then pressed his offensive against Hammond, using broad and powerful attacks that Hammond couldn't defend head on.

The two were engaged in a saber lock, both trying to overpower the other. "You're Master, Tahl Sathel, would be very disappointed with you Hammond, you've forgotten all of her teachings." He taunted, "But then again, she and Master Otto Graf died by my blade too easily. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised that their Padawans are failures as well." He revealed with a psychotic smile. Hammond's eyes widen in surprise when he heard the news, but then it was replaced by an angry glare as he broke the lock and went on his own offensive, but his blows were sloppy and easy to block and deflect. Dagur then countered an attack and went in for a thrust. Hammond blocked it, but the blades that operated as emitter guards for Dagur's lightsaber caught on Hammond's arm, causing a shallow wound that began to bleed profusely.

Hiccup jumped back to his feet to see Hammond engaged with Dagur. He looked behind him to see several docked TIE Fighters, and this gave him an idea. He reached out and picked one up with the Force, causing sparks to fly when it was ripped out of place. He made eye contact with Hammond, who had just kicked back by Dagur, and he told him his silent message. Hammond jumped out of the way as Hiccup sent the TIE Fighter towards him. Dagur turned around just in time to see it coming. He jumped towards it and cut the cockpit in half with his lightsaber, causing the two halves to go flying into the Stormtroopers behind him. Dagur continued to sail through the air and headed towards Hiccup. Hiccup jumped back as Dagur plunged his lightsaber into the place where he once stood. Hiccup went for a thrust, but Dagur brought his blade back up and blocked it.

Dagur pushed Hiccup back, causing him to stumble and try to regain his footing. Hiccup took in deep breaths as Dagur looked on, laughing at him. "You're weak Hiccup, just like you're Master and the rest of the Jedi." Dagur sneered. Hiccup narrowed his eyes as he felt the anger welled up inside him. He charged in and tried to strike Dagur down with an overhead strike, but he dodged the attacks and blocked the quick flurry of strikes that followed. Dagur ducked under an attack and kicked Hiccup in the side, causing him to roll away. "Your rage has unbalanced you. That is not the Jedi way either, is it brother?" Dagur mocked, using an old title he had given him years ago.

Hiccup charge forward again and brought his lightsaber down on Dagur's, initiating a saber lock. "Don't call me that!" He hissed at him, earning a psychotic smile and laugh. Their attention was drawn by Hammond charging back into the fight. Dagur pushed Hiccup back and blocked Hammond's attack. Hiccup followed up with his own attack, nearly catching Dagur off guard. The two began to work together, just like old times. One would go high while another went low. They were driving Dagur back, but they were still off and out of practice.

Dagur needed space or he would be overwhelmed. To create this opening, he hit Hammond with a powerful stream of lightning. Hammond wasn't able to block it in time and was hit in the chest. He was sent flying across the hanger, landing right between Heather and the twins. The combination of lighting and hitting the ground hard caused him to go unconscious.

"Hammond?" A barely conscious Heather said. When he heard his name, he began to stir with a groan. Surprisingly, the twins decided to act and grabbed Hammond, bringing him to where they were taking cover.

Hammond, brought a hand to his head as he opened his eyes, taking note of his new surroundings. He then realized he was missing something, "Where's my lightsaber?" He asked them. The twins looked over to see it near the same spot Hammond was a moment ago. They were about to retrieve it, but it flew away from them. They followed its path as it went into Hiccup's right hand, his own lightsaber in his left. He activated it and immediately swung at Dagur with both hands, his blue and green blades clashing with Dagur's crimson red blade.

Dagur pushed him off and went on the offensive, using a series of two-handed attacks against Hiccup. Hiccup could put up a straight forward defense against Dagur's superior strength, and wielding a lightsaber in each hand meant he could put as much strength into his attacks. So Hiccup went on the evasive, ducking and dodging each attack. After jumping back from an attack, Hiccup and Dagur both thrust their left hand forward, looking to knock the other back with the Force. But when their hands were outstretched, neither was thrown back, but their faces scrunched up as their efforts to throw the other back increased as the ship shook around them. Suddenly, the two were thrown in opposite directions. Dagur crashed into a wall behind him and slumped when he hit the ground. Hiccup was thrown across the hanger and hit the crate that Astrid was using as cover.

Astrid felt her crate move forward when he hit it. Her attention was then diverted to behind them when she heard the sound of a ship's engines. She looked behind the to see a YT-1300 light freighter, its circular design with a starboard cockpit and a set of quad turbo-lasers on top of and below the main hull giving it away. A hatched opened up on the bottom of the ship and a blaster cannon emerged from it, opening fire at the Stormtroopers and giving them cover. A landing ramp then opened up and Guardian could be seen near the bottom, calling for them to board the ship.

"Our ride is here," Hammond called out as he stood up. Everyone emerged from cover and headed towards the ship, with Fishlegs carrying Heather on board. Hammond was about to board, but he saw that Hiccup was standing there and looking to where Dagur was. The Sith Lord was starting to get up, and Hammond could see the determined look on Hiccup's face. Hammond approached Hiccup and laid a hand on his shoulder, "There will be another time Hiccup, we have to go now." He told him. Hiccup looked like he was about to argue his point, but he decided to drop it when he realized they were severely outnumbered and followed Hammond into the ship.

However, Dagur began to stir and noticed them getting ready to leave. With a snarl, he got up and sprinted towards the ship. Once he got close enough, he jumped up and landed on the boarding ramp. Hiccup and Hammond turned around in shock to see that Dagur had followed them. "Leaving again so soon, cowards?" He asked them.

Hiccup and Hammond responded by thrusting their hands forward. Dagur was pushed back, but he caught himself at the entrance of the boarding ramp. He used his hands to grab whatever he could and dug his heels into the metal. "Get off my ship." Hiccup growled as he put more effort into throwing Dagur out.

Dagur gritted his teeth as he held on, but his attention was caught by a yell. Astrid ran forward, jumped, and then planted both of her feet on Dagur's face. The kick caused Dagur to relinquish his grip on the ship and fell out, hitting the hanger floor on his back. After kicking him, Astrid had used him to push herself back into the ship as the boarding ramp closed. "That was for my ship." She muttered.

She turned back around to see Hiccup and Hammond staring at her in shock. Hammond shook himself out of his state and turned to Hiccup, "Don't you have somewhere to be?" He asked him.

"What?" Hiccup questioned, but then realized where he needed to be. "Oh yeah, that's right. Someone needs to fly us out of her." He said as he turned on his heels and ran to the cockpit with Astrid not far behind. Hammond followed them, but he went to the medical bay where Fishlegs had taken Heather.

Once Hiccup and Astrid had arrived in the cockpit, Toothless went from the pilot seat to the co-pilot seat. Astrid was about to take his place, but Hiccup had beaten her to the punch. He took his seat and took control of the ship's controls. He pushed a few buttons and opened up the ship's intercom, "Everyone strap yourselves in. This is going to be a bumpy ride." He announced.

Hammond heard this from the main hold, where the medical bay was nothing more than a bed and a few supplies out in the open. Heather was laying on the bed, now able to stay awake but too weak to move. Hammond went to work, strapping her to the bed for her safety. He knew what Hiccup's flying was like. "What are you doing?" Heather asked him as he secured the last strap across her legs.

"Hiccup's flying us out of here. Trust me, you want to be strapped down." He told her as he sat in the seat next to her bed and strapped himself in. He looked around the hold to see that the others had done the same.

Hiccup guided the ship out of the hanger, the Star Destroyer opening fire the moment he was out. He weaved and rolled the ship as he flew away, avoiding fire with ease. Within the hanger, Dagur had gotten up and made his way to a TIE Advanced Fighter, its curved wings, life support system, and hyperspace capacity differentiating it from normal TIE Fighters. He boarded the ship and took off immediately, pursuing Hiccup's ship. A squad of TIE Fighters followed after him, making the number of ships pursuing Hiccup a total of eight.

Hiccup's sensors went off as they picked up the ships as they got closer. It was confirmed as they opened fire when they got closer to Hiccup's ship. Hiccup opened up the intercom again, "We've got fighters on our tail. I need someone manning those turrets." He called out. Immediately, Ruffnut and Tuffnut emerged from their seats and ran to the ladder leading to the turrets. Ruffnut made it there first, but Tuffnut pulled her off the ladder and climbed to the top turret, leaving the bottom one for his sister. Once they took their positions, the opened fire at the ships behind them.

Dagur bobbed and weaved as the twins opened fire. Curse Hiccup and his flying abilities, and that stupid ship of his. He couldn't get a hit on him. Every time he had a shot lined up, Hiccup would either evade or those stupid turrets would open fire and he would have to evade.

Hiccup turned to Astrid who was sitting behind him, "Put the coordinates to your fleet in the Nava computer. We'll jump once we're clear of the system." He told her. Astrid did as he asked, though she was a bit reluctant to listen to someone she just met.

Meanwhile in the main hold, Hiccup's flying wasn't sitting well with his passengers. After a particularly tight maneuver, Fishlegs was starting to look green. "I think I'm going to be sick" He admitted, trying to keep his lunch down.

Snotlout lurched in his seat as the ship shook from a nearby explosion, "How are we going to escape in this hunk of junk?" Snotlout questioned.

Hammond looked over to him, "If anyone can escape a Sith Lord and the Empire in a hunk of junk, it's Hiccup." He reassured him. While this was happening, they went through another roll and BB-12 launched several cables that attached the walls, stopping him from rolling around.

Back in the cockpit, Astrid had just finished her job. "Coordinates are in, waiting on you." She told Hiccup. Hiccup nodded and began to prepare the hyperdrive for the jump.

Dagur rolled to avoid another laser shot that ended up destroying a TIE Fighter behind him. It was just him and one other TIE left. Hiccup's ship was almost locked on. In a few more seconds, he would vaporize him. But just as he locked on, Hiccup's ship jumped to hyperspace and disappeared. "NO!" He screamed out his viewport, looking at the empty space in anger.

"My Lord, they got away." The remaining pilot told him over the comm.

Dagur looked over to the remaining TIE Fighter from his position behind it. "I can see that!" He yelled angrily through the comm. In his anger, he reached out and destroyed the ship with the Force, crumbling into a ball then shattering it, killing the pilot. With this little outburst over, he looked back out the viewpoint with anger on his face.

His master would not be pleased.

Once safely in hyperspace, Hiccup let out a sigh of relief about their escape. "Let's go to the main hold, I have some explaining to do." He told those in the cockpit, that being Astrid, Toothless, and Guardian.

"That you do." Astrid agreed.

Hiccup nodded and headed into the hold with the others in tow. They entered the hold to see Snotlout and Fishlegs standing up from their seats, albeit a bit shaky. Tuffnut and Ruffnut emerged from where the turrets were, high-fiving and talking about all the destruction. Hammond was standing over Heather with his hands clasped together in front of him and his eyes closed while BB-12 was next to his feet. All of them, except for Hiccup, Toothless, and Guardian, looked at Hammond in curiosity. After a moment, Hammond extended his hands over Heather and were surprised to see some kind of golden energy flow out of them and into her. This energy flowed into her for a few seconds before it stopped. Once it stopped, Heather sat up and rose to her feet, like nothing happened.

Hammond relaxed and helped her stand up, even if he was a bit shaky on his feet himself. The others looked at him, except for Hiccup, Toothless, and Guardian, with an awed look. "Jedi Healing technique." He told them as he and Heather walked over to them.

Astrid then looked over to Hiccup, "How did you know Darth Insanus, or Dagur as you called him?" She asked him with a look that needed an answer.

Hiccup sighed, "Because Dagur was a Jedi Knight like Hammond and me." He answered with his eyes closed. "He was always angry and jealous of our success, but we thought he could control it. We were wrong. After the Sith Apprentice was killed, the Sith Master looked for a new one and revealed himself to Dagur, that he was Supreme Chancellor Drago Bludvist, and offered to take him as his apprentice. Dagur told a couple of masters and they went to arrest him but told him to stay behind. That must have been the last straw for him." Hiccup continued with his story, catching everyone's attention.

Hiccup took a moment to collect his thoughts before continuing on, "I found him when he was leaving the Jedi Temple and he told me what he told the masters, and he told me he was going to help. I went with him, and we arrived to see my master, Otto Graf, and Hammond's master, Tahl Sathel, had cut off Drago's left arm and had him to rights. Then Dagur pushed me back and stabbed Master Graf in the back. Drago attacked Master Tahl with lightning, sending her back. She told me to run just before Dagur killed her as well, then Dagur cut off my leg." He told them grimacing as the memory replayed in his head.

Heather was just silent, realizing her vision on Tatooine was a retelling about what Hiccup had gone through. But why did she see it?

"After my leg was cut off, Toothless here saved my life. He helped me escape and we stole this ship. We wandered around until we ended up on Dantooine. Hammond found me in the ruins of an old Jedi Enclave, and you know the rest." He finished, an eerie silence falling over everyone present.

After a moment, Astrid decided to speak up. "So what now, are you coming with us?" She asked him.

Hiccup just smiled at this, "Well I wouldn't ask you to put the coordinates of your fleet in the Nava computer for no reason would I?" He asked sarcastically.

Astrid caught herself off guard, no one was ever sarcastic with her. "Well, we'll be at the fleet in a few hours then." She said before disappearing into the ship, her mind set on exploring the ship. The others followed suit while Toothless just went into the cockpit, leaving Hiccup, Hammond, and Heather.

Hammond looked to the two of them, "I guess introductions are in order. Hiccup, this is my Padawan Heather. Heather, this is one of my best friends Hiccup." He said, pointing to each on as he said their name.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Heather said, holding her hand out.

Hiccup took her hand and shook it, "Same here. Hammond's told me a lot about you." He responded.

Heather blushed all of a sudden, "Oh, what did he say?" She asked while looking over to him.

"He says you're strong with the Force and that you're a good student." He answered her, keeping a friendly smile on her face.

Heather was about to respond but felt weak all of a sudden. She braced herself on Hammond so she wouldn't fall. "You should probably get some rest." He told her as he took her back to the medical bay, leaving Hiccup alone. Hiccup watched them leave and prepared to head back to the cockpit when a realization came into his head.

He was about to meet his parents!

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Writer's block is a bitch!**

 **Just an announcement; if anyone wants an OC in this story, PM me. I'm looking to expand the cast of characters for either in this story or future stories in this universe.**

 **Please leave any constructive criticisms in your reviews, and I hope you have enjoyed this chapter.**


	9. Chapter 9- Reunion

Chapter 9- Reunion

* * *

Dagur was kneeling in front of the image of Emperor Drago Bludvist, listening to his Master's anger in silence. "You let them escape?!" Drago accused him.

Dagur looked up to him, "I did all I could, but I wasn't expecting Hiccup to be with Hammond." He reasoned.

Drago just stood there and pondered what he had said, "We need to crush this Rebellion once and for all. I am deploying the Grand Inquisitor and the First Brother to assist you once they are finished with their current assignment." He informed him.

"What?!" Dagur screamed at him, "You're sending Viggo and Ryker?" He asked his Master, using their real names instead of their titles, earning a nod from the figure on the hologram. "I don't need those errand boys with me!" He yelled out.

Before Dagur could continue, Drago raised and hand and began to squeeze. Dagur reached for his throat, trying to rid himself of the invisible hand that made breathing difficult. "Watch your tongue apprentice, or I will tear it out!" Drago warned him, then released him from his grip.

Dagur collapsed onto the ground, wheezing for oxygen to soothe his burning lungs. "The Inquisitors will help you exterminate the Jedi and wipe out the Rebellion." Drago told him, "Don't fail me again, apprentice." He finished with a warning before his image vanished.

Dagur stood up, seething in his hatred. He could not wait for the day he was strong enough to overthrow his Master and take his place. Before he could continue his dark thoughts, he was interrupted by a technician walking into his room, the same one that collected a sample of Heather's blood.

"M-my Lord," The man stuttered, "I tested the blood like you wanted, and I have a result." He informed Dagur, trying to hold back his fear.

Dagur's sour mood lessened when he heard the news, "Good, what did you find?" He asked the cowering technician.

The technician straightened up and held the datapad close to him, "I checked all records to find any of the Padawan's living relatives, and I only found one." Ho answered.

"Well, who is it?" Dagur questioned impatiently, "We might be able to use them against her." He said, mostly to himself.

The technician didn't respond and just handed his datapad to Dagur with shaky hands. Dagur took hold of the datapad and looked it over. The technician watched as the Sith Lord turned his back to him, and took note as his back stiffened from reading the information on it. After a moment of silence, the technician decided to speak, "M-my Lord?" He stuttered, "Is everything alright?" He asked, knowing exactly what was on that datapad.

Dagur whirled around and reached out, the technician was dragged from the entrance of the room they were in and into Dagur's hand. Once the technician's neck was in his hand, Dagur began to squeeze. The technician looked into Dagur's eyes and saw his usual fury, but it was mixed with something else this time; shock. "Who else knows?" Dagur asked, only to earn a few strangled sounds, "Who else knows?!" Dagur asked a second time, this time yelling at the man he was strangling.

"N-no one e-else knows, I s-swear." The technician wheezed out.

Dagur let out a breath he had been holding, "Good, and for now, I plan to keep it that way." He said with a menacing look. With a quick motion of his hand and some help from the Force, he snapped the technician's neck, producing a loud snap. Dagur dropped the poor man's lifeless body that went limp the moment it hit the ground. Dagur looked back at the datapad, making sure to drink in every detail.

The plan had just changed.

* * *

Hiccup's ship, now known to the gang as _The Night Fury_ , had just come out of hyperspace. The gang could see the fleet out of the ship's cockpit window. Hiccup was now back in his cloak and Hammond was in his armor, but his sleeve was still stained with blood from their duel with Dagur. Hiccup was piloting the ship while Toothless was his copilot, leaving a fuming Astrid to work the comm. She wasn't used to this, she always flew the ship. Hammond looked over to Astrid from his seat behind Toothless and could feel her anger, but he wasn't sure what was causing it.

With Berkians, a piece of bad bantha meat could set off an angry rampage, he still didn't understand them.

"Unknown ship, identify yourself or we will open fire!" Was heard from the comm station.

Astrid opened up to comm channel, "Alliance Fleet, hold your fire! This is Astrid Hofferson reporting in." She responded with.

After a moment of silence, they receive a response, "Astrid, is that really you?!" The man on the other side asked.

Astrid sighed before answering, "Yes it is, I'm sending you my clearance code now." She told him. After putting in her code, she sent it to.

It took a few moments for the code to clear through, and in that time, they had two X-Wings fly by and escort them to the ship. "Your code clears Hofferson, welcome back. How was the search?" The man asked them.

Astrid relaxed now that the code cleared through, she hadn't used in awhile and was hoping she typed it in correctly. "We were successful." She answered, looking over to Hiccup.

"Really?!" The man on the other side questioned enthusiastically. "At this rate, we'll drive the Empire into a black hole in a year or so." He commented. After a few moments, his voice came back through the comm. "You've been cleared for landing in hanger two, Stoick will meet you there." He instructed them.

"Roger that," Astrid responded, closing the channel and taking a seat as Hiccup brought the ship in for a landing. Once they were in the hanger, they stood up and headed back into the main hold where the rest of the gang was.

From her spot on the medical bed, Heather sat up, ready to get off this ship. She looked up to see that Hammond was walking over to her. "Once we get aboard the ship, I want you to go to the medical bay and get checked out by the staff there." He told her.

Heather looked up in surprise, "Why? I feel perfectly fine." She responded as she stood up. She appeared to be fine, but she wobbled on her feet once she reached full height.

Hammond just gave her a knowing work, "Right." He deadpanned, "Look, I just think you should let them look at you. If they find something, they find something. If not, you're fine." He reasoned with her.

Heather thought about it and sighed, "Fine." She conceded before heading to the boarding ramp.

As she walked away, Hammond watched her walk away and Guardian walked up to him. "Can you make sure she gets there for me?" Hammond asked him.

Guardian nodded, " _Of course Herald._ " He answered, then walked next to Heather, letting her lean against him.

Hammond walked to the boarding ramp and found Hiccup lingering at the top. Hammond walked up to him and put his hand on his shoulder, "Nervous?" He asked Hiccup.

Hiccup looked over and nodded, "Yeah. I mean, I'm about to meet my parents." He answered.

Hammond gave him a reassuring look, "Hey, there's nothing to worry about." He told him, then leading him down the ramp. Once they were at the bottom of the ramp, they felt all eyes in the hanger on them. Hiccup flipped his hood over his head, shying away from the spotlight. Hammond looked over to him, "Was that really necessary?" He asked him with an unamused look.

Hiccup just gave a nervous sigh, "It was just a reflex." He defended. He was about to continue on, but it died in his throat when he saw Astrid talking to two Berkians, a man, and woman. It took Hiccup a few seconds to realize she was talking to his parents.

Currently, Astrid was briefing Stoick and Valka about the details of the mission. "…And the Deadly Nadder was destroyed and we were captured. We were placed in a cell, but Heather was taken to a separate cell and interrogated." She elaborated, pointing to Heather when she was mentioned.

At that moment, Heather was being tended by several medics who were trying to get her on a stretcher, but she wasn't an easy patient. "I said I'm fine. I can walk to the medical bay just fine, there's no need for this." She insisted.

"Better safe than sorry." The lead medic responded, earning a frustrated sigh from Heather as she laid back and was taken away.

With that little distraction done, Astrid resumed her briefing. "We were on the ship for a few hours, but then we were rescued by Hammond and the other Jedi." She told them. She was about to continue on, but Stoick and Valka noticed Hammond and a cloaked figure walking up to them. They abruptly ended their conversation with her and made their way over to them. This had left Astrid irritated, she was just about to get to the part when Hiccup came in.

Stoick looked the Jedi up and down. He seemed a bit scrawny if the oversized cloak was to say anything about him, and he kept his gaze down. Why was he so afraid? "Greetings Master Jedi." He opened in friendliness, hoping to ease his nervous state. "I am Stoick Haddock, and this is my wife Valka Haddock. We're leaders of the Rebel Alliance, and it is an honor that you have chosen to join us." He continued, gesturing to Valka and the crowd around them, which had grown to a considerable size now.

The Jedi's state didn't change as he just stood there, stiff as a board. "Is there something wrong?" Valka asked him while laying a hand on his shoulder. Upon contact, the Jedi almost jerked back away from the touch.

Hammond, who was standing to the side, just sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. This was going nowhere. SO he decided to do the introductions for Hiccup, "Stoick, Valka." Hammond said, "This… is your son, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III." He informed them bluntly.

An awkward silence fell over everyone, Hiccup still standing stiff while his parents looked at him wide eyed and in shock. To confirm this, Hiccup took his shaky hands and pulled his hood back, revealing his face. He looked up to his parents with nervous eyes as they drank in every detail on his face. Valka focus was mainly on the scar on Hiccup's chin. She knew just how he got that scar.

It was really him.

After what seem like an eternity, the three of them felt themselves being pushed. As it turned out, Goober had decided to give them some private time and pushed them into a nearby hallway that connects this hanger with another hanger. Once they were in, Gobber closed and locked the door behind them. He then turned around to address the crowd behind him, "Alight, back to work everyone! Show's over folks."

The crowd did as they were told and dispersed, but Astrid could hear some of the comments they were making.

"That's the Chief's son?"

"Not what I was expecting."

"He seemed a little scrawny."

"I think he's kind of cute."

"Well, that went well." She heard Hammond say as he walked up to her, snapping her out of her thoughts while she listened to the crowd.

She shook her head to expel her current thoughts before answering. "Not the best first impression." She commented.

"Tell me about it," Hammond responded dryly, before letting a smile cross his face. "It reminds me of the first time I met him." He told her.

Astrid looked over to him, "What happened?" She asked in curiosity.

Hammond's smile increased as he told his story, "So I was studying in the archives when Hiccup bumped into a stack of Holobooks, knocking them over and burying me in the process. It led to an interesting conversation about some of the Order's history as we cleaned up the mess. We've been friends ever since then."

Astrid was stunned into silence, that had to be the most ridiculous way to meet some one. "Well, that's interesting." She commented.

"I know," Hammond responded, "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go check on Heather." He informed her before heading out, leaving Astrid alone with her thpughts.

* * *

Once the door was closed, Hiccup, Stoick, and Valka just stared at each other as the awkward silence continued, unsure of what to do next. The silence was broken as Valka began to walk towards Hiccup. Hiccup just stood still, unsure of what to do or how to react. After a few steps, Valka was standing directly in front of her son. Cautiously, she reached out with her hand and brought it to his face. Hiccup slightly flinched back, unfamiliarly with such a gesture, but allowed her to touch his cheeks.

While Hiccup was unsure of this, he eventually found himself leaning into the touch, enjoying the warm and comfortable feeling that came over him. Valka took this as a good sign and smile before lunging towards him and enveloping him in a hug. Hiccup, while hesitant at first, embraced this and hugged her back.

Meanwhile, Stoick had watched this encounter in a stunned silence. Once Hiccup and Valka were hugging each other equally, Stoick walked forward and grabbed the two of them in a massive bear hug, allowing a smile to break through his usually stoic features.

Their family was complete again.

This moment, while heartwarming for all three of them, didn't last long.

"Uh Dad, not breathing." Hiccup wheezed out, call him Dad instead of Stoick out instinct, not realizing he had actually called him that.

Stoick's eyes widened when he heard this and released them, "Oh…I uh, sorry son." Stoick apologized, not realizing he called him son instead of Hiccup.

Valka's attention was more focused on Hiccup than the interaction between father and son. "You're alive." She stated, overcome with joy over this reunion.

"Well, I guess," Hiccup replied awkwardly, unsure of how to interact with his family.

Stoick looked him up and down. He was smaller than he expected, but he stood with an air of confidence. A confidence fitting for a leader. "How did you survive?" He asked his son.

"We have so many questions," Valka added in.

Hiccup was expecting them to have questions, even though he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to answer all of them. Unfortunately, their reunion was cut short. " _Chief Stoick!_ " A Rodian called out to him, " _We've received reports from our agents. Do you wish to see them on the Command Bridge?_ " The Rodian asked, completely ignorant to the situation right in front of him.

Stoick sighed and looked at his now complete family. This was supposed to be a perfect moment, he didn't want this war to get in the way of it. Before he could respond, Hiccup spoke up. "It's okay Dad, we can continue this later." He told his father, earning a surprised look from him.

Stoick took a moment to decide on an answer, "Alright son." He conceded then looking to Valka. Valka, can you show our son to a room?" He requested of her.

Valka nodded and lead Hiccup to the crew quarters. She knew of a room that wasn't far from their room, it would be perfect for him. As they walked down the halls, they were under the constant eyes of Alliance members. Hiccup observed them as they looked at him and it appeared word of his arrival and who he was traveled fast. Some were scanning him, seeing if he was everything they imagined from the son of Stoick the Vast. They were others who looked at him with hope and excitement like he could win the war for him. To be honest, these stares were starting to worry him. They already had high hopes and expectations for him.

As they continued on their way, they came across Toothless as he emerged from a hall, the large, black-furred Wookie was clearly lost. Toothless approached the two and began communicating in his language. While Valka couldn't understand it, it was just a bunch of growls and roars to her, but Hiccup understood him clearly.

Hiccup sighed when he heard what Toothless was complaining about. "Really, that's your big problem right now?" He asked in disbelief. Toothless nodded and growled in confirmation. Hiccup turned to his mother, "He's trying to find the Mess Hall." He told her.

Valka chuckled before answering, "It's two halls down that way on the left. Once you walked down that hall, it will be the fourth hall to the right." She told him. Toothless growled in appreciation and went on his way, following her directions.

Valka turned back to her son, who was scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "Sorry about that, Wookies need eat a lot." He told her.

"Just like your father." She joked, earning a chuckle from Hiccup. Once their chuckles died down, they continued walking. "How did you become friends with a Wookie?" She asked him out of the blue.

"My Master and I broke up an illegal slaving ring, and he was one of the slaves we broke out. During the mission, I saved his life and he swore a life debt to me; a sacred vow that Wookies take to repay someone who has saved their life. We've been together ever since then." He explained to her.

Valka listened intently to every word, her son clearly had plenty of stories to tell, and she wanted to hear all of them. "That's certainly interesting." She told him, before continuing on in silence. After a few moments, a nagging curiosity overcame her. "Can I see your lightsaber?" She asked him, earning a curious look from him. "Hammond told me that each Jedi's lightsaber is unique, and I'm curious what yours is like." She admitted.

Hiccup regarded her with a cocked eyebrow for a moment but decided to satisfy her curiosity and handed over his lightsaber. She looked it over, making sure to find every detail she could see on it. It had a similar single hilt design that Hammond's had, but that was all the shared. On the hilt, she saw a black dragon etched into it. She recognized it from Berkian lore; a Night Fury. After her inspection was complete, she handed it back to her son. "I see you know your dragons." She stated.

"Yeah, the Jedi Archives had a lot of records on Berkian history and mythology, and I always found the dragons and dragon riders to be the most interesting part." Hiccup admitted, "Although I have never seen the planet in person." He added in under his breath.

Valka looked at him with sympathy and some guilt. "Berk is an absolutely beautiful planet." She spoke up after a few seconds of silence, catching Hiccup's attention, "It was a planet with vast oceans and dotted by large islands, where the main settlements were. We lived on the largest island where the capital was until the Empire came." She continued, her voice lowering in volume at the last part.

Hiccup listened in curiosity, "What happened?" He asked her.

Valka took a breath before continuing on, "It was a few months after the war ended when the Empire replaced the Republic. Your Father spoke out against the Empire, and we succeeded. The Emperor did not take kindly to that course of action. He invaded the planet with all of his might, the clones we once fought alongside during the war had become our enemies."

"I understand how that feels," Hiccup shared, remembering his escape from Coruscant, and how the Clones had turned on him, along with the rest of the Jedi Order.

"We fought as hard as we could, but we outmanned and outgunned. With great reluctance, Stoick ordered a retreat from the planet, to fight another day, but not all of us escaped. There are millions still on the planet, and the Empire has a blockade over the planet. No one can take off or land on the planet without the Empire's permission." She finished with a guilty expression on her face.

Hiccup placed a hand on her shoulder, "I'm sure we'll free the planet, someday." He assured her. Valka gave him a grateful smile, amazed at how compassionate her son was. "Hey Mom, can I ask you something?" Hiccup questioned, earning a nod from Valka. "Why did you give me to the Jedi Order?"

Valka was stunned by the question. She was expecting him to ask this question, but she wasn't sure if she was ready to answer it, but she had to try. "You were born early, you were such a wee thing, so tiny, so frail. I feared you wouldn't survive, but your father never doubted. He always believed you would survive, that you would become the strongest Berkian the planet had ever seen. As months went by, it seemed like he would be right. When you were three months old, I fell asleep while holding you. When I woke up, everything in the room was floating, and you were just looking up at it all, laughing and reaching for any object that got too close. It all stopped when your father entered to room, all the objects fell, one of them caught you on the face and gave you that scar." She told him, gently rubbing the scar on his chin when she revealed its origins.

Hiccup was silent, finding the origins of his scar funny and embarrassing. Valka continued on, "A few days after this incident, a couple of Jedi showed up and inspected you. They said you were strong with the Force, stronger than they had ever seen for an infant. After a long discussion between your father and me, we decided to give you to the Jedi."

"Why?" Hiccup asked, truly curious why he was given to the Jedi.

"For your safety." Valka answered, but she elaborated when she saw her son's confused face, "There were a lot of things that affected our decision. Many said we should give to the Jedi because it would have been a great honor, the first Berkian to become a Jedi, but you were our son. If we gave you up, we would have never seen you again. Then we realized something; if you had stayed with us, your power would have grown and no one would be able to teach you to control it, and it would have harmed you more than anyone else. It broke our hearts to give you to them, but we believed it would be safer if you did." She finished a sorrowful and guilty look on her face.

It took a few minutes for that information to register in Hiccup's head. He always wondered why his parents gave him to the Jedi, but he didn't realize it was like this. "I… I had no idea it was like that for you." He confessed.

Valka came to a stop right in front of a door. "This will be your room if there's anything you need; you can ask us at any time." She told him, pointing to the door that would be his room.

"Thanks, Mom." Hiccup said, then walked into his room. Valka lingered by the door for a moment, debating if she should see if he needed help, but decided against it. He would need some time to adjust to everything, and he couldn't do that with her over his shoulder all the time.

So with a sigh, she walked down the hall, happy that the Force had given her a second chance to be with her son.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **FINALLY!**

 **My life has been so busy this past month. Between finals, papers, projects, and readjusting to home life, I've had very little time to write.**

 **I don't know how often updates will come, but I'll do my best. Please be patient with me. I'm only a human being.**

 **Anyway, on my OC submission request I announced, I'll only accept them through PMs, not reviews. It's just easier to discuss details and how they fit into the story. OC submissions are still open, but only through PMs, and no Mandalorians or Jedi. I have enough of those.**

 **But anyway, the story is going REALLY start picking up from here, prepare yourself.**

 **Also, I've edited all the previous chapters for this story and my other story,** _ **How to Become an Assassin, the Hard Way**_ **. They're now clear of major errors.**

 **Please leave any constructive criticisms in your reviews, and I hope you have enjoyed this chapter.**


	10. Chapter 10- The War Continues

Chapter 10- The War Continues

* * *

In the upper atmosphere of an Imperial controlled planet, an Imperial supply fleet was under attack by the Rebel Alliance. The fleet had come here to refuel before distributing supplies to the Empire's garrisons throughout the Outer Rim, but the Rebels learned of this and launched a surprise attack. The ships carrying the supplies were long and narrow, with the bulk of the ships weight being focused on the front, where the Command Bridge was, and the back, where the engines were located. The narrow middle section had magnets running along it that kept the metal crates in place, even in the middle of hyperspace. Unfortunately, these ships were lightly armed and vulnerable to attack, which is why they were always accompanied by an escort fleet.

Astrid flew through the heat of the battle, destroying TIE Fighters left and right. She had just tallied her sixth kill for this battle. She observed the battle around her. It was smaller than the battle at Fondor, there was only one Star Destroyer and a less than a half a dozen support ships escort the supply fleet, and the Alliance had several Assault MK II Frigates, Nebulon B-2 Frigates, Corellian Corvettes and Gunships with fighter support for the Rebel Alliance. The battle was going smoothly for the Alliance, with the destruction of an Acclamator Cruiser and a Tartan Cruiser confirmed before the Imperials could counter attack.

Astrid attention was diverted to a Victory Class Star Destroyer. The Command Bridge was in flames and there was damage all throughout the hull. Without warning, flames burst out from within the hull but were quickly snuffed out by the vacuum of space. Within moments, the ship started to crack and fell apart, the pieces drifting throughout space.

Astrid noticed that the destruction of this ship had given them an opening, "Attention, the right flank of the support ships is open! I repeat, their right flank is exposed!" She called out into the comm channel.

"We read you Stormfly." She earned from the commander in charge of the attack in response, "Stormfly, lead Blue Squadron and keep those TIE Fighters around those supply ships occupied, Windshear's Gray Squadron and Jorgenson's Orange Squadron will assist you." The commander ordered her.

"Roger that," Astrid responded, her squad forming up behind her. Astrid looked to her right to see Heather's gray colored X-wing and her squad forming up, and to her left was Snotlout's orange colored X-wing and his squad joining them.

From the cockpit of his X-wing, Snotlout rolled his shoulders and neck, producing loud cracks and pops. "The Empire won't even know what hit them." He boasted arrogantly.

Heather just rolled her eyes when she heard that through the comm, "Whatever you say." She muttered, but she shook off his boasting and focused on the battle in front of her.

The three squadrons made a beeline for the supply ships. The ships anti-starfighter locked onto them and opened fire as they got in range. The squadrons broke up to avoid the laser fire, but one X-wing was unlucky and was hit, exploding into multiple pieces.

The supply ships weren't the only ones to notice them as the Star Destroyer prepped its Starboard cannons and launched more TIE Fighters to assist the ones protecting the ships. Just as a section of cannons was ready to fire, they were hit by proton torpedoes, resulting in their destruction. The culprits who fired these torpedoes became apparent as a squad of Y-wings flew past them, only to be followed by another squad that launched their payloads at another section of laser cannons. Within minutes, all the cannons on the starboard side of the Star Destroyer were destroyed or disabled by several squads of Y-wings.

From a safe distance away with his squad, Fishlegs observed the carnage, thankful that he survived this bombing run and wasn't involved in the fight around the supply ships. This was his first time in a Y-Wing after the battle of Fondor and was glad that this run had gone just as smoothly. His peace and quiet were disturbed by yelling from the comm, "THAT WAS AWESOME!" Was what he heard, and he recognized it as Tuffnut's voice. The twins had been allowed to fly in this battle, just like Snotlout, and were assigned as part of the bomber wings. Ruffnut was flying and Tuffnut was manning the turret in their Y-wing. This was decided because Tuffnut lost a Thorston challenge.

"Cut the chatter Tuffnut, we'll head back to the ships to rearm, then we'll go for another pass." Alpha leader, the squad leader in charge of this part of the attack, ordered through the comm. All the pilots who received this order obeyed and headed back to the ships.

Back with Astrid's attack group, Astrid opened fire on a TIE Fighter she had been chasing, destroying its right wing which caused it to spin out before exploding, making her kill count nine. The battle on the end was going smoothly. The supply ships couldn't get a lock on them, and they were destroying TIE Fighters left and right, and they had only lost three fighters so far. "Alpha group, the Star Destroyers guns have been incapacitated, you're clear to make your move. Stormfly now is the time to attack the ships, get them to drop their cargo." The commander ordered through the comm.

"You heard him, attack those ships," Astrid called out to her attack group. Three X-wings complied and headed towards the supply ships. Before they could open fire, they were destroyed by a series of TIE Fighter laser fire from their left flank. Astrid along with a few others who weren't already preoccupied, including Heather and Snotlout, looked over to see a squad of TIE Fighters heading their way. These TIEs looked different from the rest, instead of the standard gray and black aesthetic, these TIEs had red accents across their hull and the image of a snake in the center of their wings.

"It's Viper Squad!" One pilot called out in terror. All the pilots had heard of them, they were mainly whispers from survivors of raids they lost in the early days of the Rebellion, but now they knew who they were. They were the Empire's elite pilots, and responsible the deaths of countless pilots. Now they were here.

The squadron, consisting of seven TIE Fighters, broke their formation and launched their attack. Within seconds, two more X-Wings were destroyed. Astrid began to chase one that had broken off from the group, but no matter what she tried, she couldn't get a lock on him. This pilot was good. She was just starting to get a lock on him again when green laser fire streaked past her. Looking back, she saw a Viper and two other TIE Fighters pursuing her. The Viper she was previously pursuing managed to get away while she was distracted.

Now Astrid was the one who was being chased. She put full power to the thrusters and tried to outrun them, but they were on her tail. No matter how fast she went or how evasive she was with her maneuvers, they were still there. Suddenly, streaks of blue and purple flew past her and hit all three TIE Fighters behind her, destroying them. She looked towards the origin of the shots, and saw two X-wings, on painted black, and the other painted a deep blue instead of the usual red.

"We leave you alone for a few days and you already get into trouble." She heard Hammond's voice in her comm. While he was clearly joking, it angered her like he had insulted them.

Heather looked over from her X-wing, "What are you guys doing her?" She asked them.

"I finished my work on our fighters, and Dad told us to assist you as necessary," Hiccup answered immediately.

"We appreciate any help you can provide." The commander told them from his station on the bridge. "Now take care of those fighters, then secure the cargo." He ordered.

"Understood," Hiccup replied, then flew into the battle with Hammond in tow. Within seconds of entering the battle, the two Jedi proved that they were not just warriors on the battlefield, but were easily two of the best pilots in the Galaxy, with Hiccup being the better pilot. From time to time, Astrid watched as Hiccup's fighter would whizz through and devastate any TIE Fighter in his path. In one of his runs, Astrid counted at least ten kills, easily topping her current kill count in this battle.

However, Astrid wasn't the only one to notice their skill. The remains of Viper Squadron were watching, and they were hell bent on avenging their fallen comrade. Soon enough, Hiccup and Hammond each had three Vipers pursuing them.

Streaks of green shot past Hammond's X-Wing, "I don't think these guys appreciate us being here." Hammond stated, with BB-12 beeping in agreement in the astromech slot on the fighter.

Hiccup looked back to see the three Vipers that were on his tail, feeling a sense of Déjà Vu. In that moment, he remembered something that could help them now. "Hey Hammond, remember that move we pulled off at the space battle over Maanan?" He asked Hammond vaguely.

It took Hammond a few seconds for his memory to kick in, "Yeah, what about it?" He asked Hiccup, trying to figure out why he brought that up now. That was when it hit him, "You can't be serious?" He let out in disbelief.

"If you have any other ideas, I'll listen," Hiccup replied back. On the other end, Hammond was silent. He had no other ideas. Hiccup took this answer as a sign of compliance. "Alright, I see you at my five o' clock. Bank right and I'll meet up with you." He told him.

From her cockpit, Heather watched this happen. She saw Hammond do as Hiccup told him and backed right, the three Vipers in hot pursuit. When Hammond came out of his turn, she noticed that he was flying straight for Hiccup, who now was flying directly at Hammond. "Hammond, what are you doing?" She asked into the comm, a slight tinge of fear in her voice.

"Trust me, Heather, we know what we're doing," Hammond responded with, before returning his focus to the controls. BB-12 buzzed and chirp from his spot in Hammond's X-Wing, making his worries know. "I hear you on that BB-12, but we don't have much choice." He told him.

Hiccup focused on Hammond's approaching figure, ignoring the battle around him and the chatter in the comm. The Vipers who were chasing both of them had bought the bait, and Hiccup was ready to act. He just had to get closer to Hammond.

Suddenly, a stray shot headed his way, but Hiccup sensed it coming with the Force and swerved out of the way of it, but just barely. He looked ahead to see that he got with a hundred meters of Hammond. "NOW!" he yelled into his comm.

Simultaneously, Hiccup and Hammond both turned to their left, just within feet of hitting each other. The Vipers were unable to react to this quick enough and two of them crashed into each other as they attempted to evade each other, the debris from this crash hit a third Viper, destroying him instantly, and a fourth Viper hit a random TIE Fighter that was in the area, leaving two Vipers left to avenge their fallen comrades.

The remaining Vipers chased after Hiccup, but Hiccup was ready for them. He went into a dive and activated his boosters, created a larger gap between himself and the two TIE Fighters. Suddenly, He cut his engines and flipped his X-Wing around, now facing them. With bot TIEs in range, Hiccup pulled the trigger and opened fire. Streaks of purple laser fire erupted from his cannons and found their targets, destroying both Vipers. "We're all clear now, begin making your runs on those transport ships. " Hiccup called into the comm.

The other pilots heard this, but they were still in a stunned silence over what just happened. Within minutes of joining the battle, their two Jedi had wiped out on of the Empire's best squadrons and dozens of fighters. Heather was the first to shake out of her shock, "You heard them, let's finish this." She called out.

She flew in for her attack with her squadron. Once in range, they launched their proton torpedoes at them. The torpedoes hit their target, damaging the hull of the ships. Snotlout and his squad followed suit, then Astrid's group came in after them. Hiccup and Hammond came in for their attack last, using torpedoes and laser fire to finish the job. The ships' hulls broke apart, and the magnets holding the cargo failed, causing the crates to float is space.

"You're clear now Alpha group, time to sweep things up and head home." Hiccup said into the comm.

"Roger that general." He earned in response, causing him to raise his eyebrow when he heard what he was called.

Alpha group, consisting of Corellian Gunships and Corvettes with large magnets attached to the bottom if their ships, moved in. The magnets grabbed all of the crates and some debris they could use as scrap metal. "We've got the cargo." The leader of Alpha group announced.

Understood, all ships make the jump to Hyperspace." The commander ordered. Within seconds, the Rebel fleet was disappeared, leaving a ruined Imperial fleet behind them.

* * *

Two days later, Astrid was leading a team, which included Hiccup and Hammond, in a raid against an Imperial weapons testing facility that had recently been discovered. Hiccup and Hammond lead a team into the main control center to download any intel they could find. Meanwhile, Astrid led a team that was to collect any prototypes they could carry, and destroy the ones they couldn't.

Currently, Astrid ducked behind a crate that was her cover, just as laser fire from Imperial Stormtroopers streaked past her head. The mission was going smoothly on their end so far. They had just gathered up several prototype blasters and personal shields without getting noticed but had run into several squads of Stormtroopers when they came across an open area with several hanger doors, where they would hold prototype vehicles. The Stormtroopers opened fired the moment they saw them and set off an alarm, calling for reinforcements. It wasn't looking good for Astrid's team as they were outnumbered three to one.

But just when it seemed like they were doomed, several crates flew into Imperial lines. Astrid's team turned their attention to where the crates came from, and found Hiccup and Hammond, with Toothless and Guardian in tow, charging into the Imperial's right flank. Hiccup and Hammond's lightsabers became a blur of green and blue as they deflected and redirected laser fire. Guardian took cover behind a crate and took his time lining up his shots with his sniper rifle, making every shot count. Toothless charged in an opened fire with his bowcaster, launching Stormtroopers clear across the when he scored a hit.

Astrid looked at them with surprised eyes. This wasn't part of the plan, they weren't supposed to be her. "What are you guys doing her?" She asked them with fury.

"Our team download everything from the facilities computers and got back to the extraction point without being detected. When we heard the alarms go off, we decided to come and help you." Hiccup answered simply, then redirecting a blaster bolt back at the Stormtrooper that shot it, hitting him in the chest.

"We don't need help!" Astrid fired back at him as she shot anther Stormtrooper. She was about to continue on when she noticed a squad of Stormtroopers just set up a blaster cannon on a tripod, and were about to open fire. Just as the Stormtrooper pulled the trigger, several crates floated in front of the Rebels, forming a shield and protecting them from the cannon's fire.

Astrid looked over to see Hammond with his left hand raised and a look of concentration on his face, using the Force to levitate the crates, and his lightsaber in his right hand, deflecting any shot that came his way. "I think they beg to differ." Hammond pointed out, clearly talking about the Stormtroopers they were fighting. Hammond then closed his eyes and thrust his hand forward, sending the crates towards the troopers around the blaster cannon. The troopers were either knocked back or had to jump out of the way, leaving them exposed to Rebel fire. Hammond then threw his lightsaber forward, the blade becoming a whirlwind of blue as it sailed through the air. The blade cut through the cannon's barrel and tripod like butter, rendering it useless and returned to Hammond's hand.

From her position on the team's right flank, opposite from where Hiccup and Hammond entered, Heather popped up from behind a barrel and shot two more Stormtroopers. Her Force training had benefited in more ways than she could have imagined, and she was seeing that as she dropped Stormtroopers left and right. From behind the Imperial's line, she saw what looked like two pilots head into a large hanger and shut the door behind them.

"Astrid, I think the Imperials have a prototype stored in that hanger." She called out.

Astrid was about to answer but was interrupted by Hiccup, "They do, all we found of from the computer is that it's called an All-Terrain Armored-Transport, or AT-AT for short, but that's all we know. We weren't able to find any available schematics on it, and all the others were encrypted." Hiccup replied, too focused to notice Astrid's irritated look.

Hammond flashed him a confident look, "Then let's find out more shall we?" He stated, earning a nod from Hiccup.

Hiccup raised his lightsaber up above his head, then pointed it towards the Imperials, "Follow me!" she shouted, then charged towards the Stormtroopers, deflecting any blaster fire heading their way. The strike team watched as Hiccup brought his lightsaber across Stormtrooper's chest, and as Hammond stabbed one in the belly and threw another into a stack of crates.

Their charge had the desired effect as the other Rebels joined in on their charge, led by the twins and followed by Snotlout. Pretty soon, all the other Rebels joined in, including Astrid, who was a bit reluctant to follow Hiccup. This was her mission, she was the one to lead it, and yet he was unseating her with ease.

Hiccup jumped over another Stormtrooper and thrust his lightsaber behind him, the green blade now sticking through the Stormtrooper's chest. He brought it out and raised up to redirect another blaster bolt coming towards him. When all was quiet, he deactivated it and observed the scene around him. The Rebels had defeated the Imperials, with half of the Stormtroopers bearing lightsaber burns or missing limbs.

Astrid walked up to the hanger the pilots disappeared into, "Get these doors open," she ordered. Three members of her team approached the door with explosives since the door was locked and there was no way to unlock.

"Hold on that, let us handle this," Hiccup called out, ready to open the door with the Force with Hammond's help.

But Astrid wasn't taking any of this. "Thanks for the offer, but we can handle this," she shot back with a challenging look.

"We have no idea what's in there, I don't think blowing those doors open is the best plan of action." Hiccup countered, confused to why Astrid was challenging him all of a sudden.

"Blowing things up is always the best plan of action," Tuffnut chimed in from the side, earning an irritated look from Astrid.

Once Astrid was sure Tuffnut would stay quiet, she turned her attention back to Hiccup, "We'll deal with what's in there once those doors are open. Now, get those doors…" She continued but was interrupted when the doors exploded outwards, blowing everyone back and killing the three Rebels by the door. When the dust settled and the Rebels regained their footing, they saw a massive leg step out of the hanger, followed by another leg and a head that was over twenty meters off the ground, with two heavy cannons under its head and a light blaster cannon on each side of it. The hulking walker slowly emerged from the hanger, revealing a large, armored body and two more legs.

Hammond looked up to see what they were facing, "Well, now we know what an AT-AT is." He pointed out.

"No Kidding," Heather spoke out in agreement.

The AT-AT then targeted the Rebels in front of it and opened fire, its heavy cannons thundering as the ground shook from its footsteps and the impact of its cannon fire. The Rebels were sent running, and no cover proved strong enough to protect them from its heavy cannons, and the light cannons fired quick enough to hit a moving target. A Rebel soldier brought out a rocket launcher and opened fired, striking the front portion of the body next to its neck. To his horror, he only scratched its armor and left scorch marks. The walker then turned towards the Rebel and fired its heavy cannons, obliterating him.

Hiccup scanned the walker, there had to be some kind of weakness. He then realized that its line of sight was limited, and a team could sneak around and take it out, but that wouldn't be easy.

He looked around to see Hammond on the gang taking cover with him, "I have a plan: Hammond, I need you and the others to distract that thing, Ruff, Tuff, you're with me. Understood?" He elaborated, earning nods from the others, except Astrid, who looked like she had another plan.

"But I think we can…" She started until she was interrupted.

"Got it," Hammond said, interrupting her, and ran out. He threw his lightsaber at the walker's head, scratching its armor and gaining its attention. The walker let a volley of heavy and light blaster fire, but Hammond was too fast to be hit, thanks to the force amplifying his abilities.

With the distraction in play, Hiccup and the twins flanked around the walker and out of its view. "So, what is your plan?" Ruffnut asked.

"Does it involve explosions?" Tuffnut questioned, excited and hopeful.

Hiccup looked back at them, "You'll see," he told them, then jumped into the air, using the Force to propel him higher. He landed on the top of the walker, then reached out with the Force and lifted both of the twins, bringing them to his level.

He let the twins down, and the two stumbled when they landed, trying to regain their footing. "Well that was fun," Tuffnut stated about their trip up.

Hiccup then took out his lightsaber and plunged it into the walker's armor. The blade went all the way down to the hilt, showing how thick the armor was. He moved his blade in a circular motion, cutting a clean circle out of the armor. Once he was done, he pulled the piece out with the Force and threw it away.

"How many detonators you got?" Hiccup asked.

Tuffnut and Ruffnut looked at him with excitant, "More than enough to take this thing down," Ruffnut answered him.

Hiccup smiled, "Then do your thing." He told them.

"Now you're speaking out language," Tuffnut responded. The twins pulled all the detonators they had, which totaled about half a dozen. They rigged all of them to a remote detonator and threw them into the walker. With his plan in place, Hiccup jumped off the walker and used the Force to cushion his landing. He signaled the twins to follow his lead, and they did and soften their landing as well. Once they were all on the ground, they ran to a safe distance and warned the others to do the same.

Hiccup jumped behind a barrel and looked over to the twins, "Do it," He ordered.

"With pleasure," Tuffnut replied and pushed the button. From their hiding place, they could see flashes of light from each explosion coming from the walker's belly. Suddenly, the top of the walker's body exploded outwards along with the head, leaving only a stump where its neckpiece was. With no one controlling it, and part of its legs damaged, the walker fell to the side, producing a loud thud when it landed.

Hiccup's focus on the walker was interrupted when he heard clapping. He turned around to see the remaining Rebels cheering, except for Astrid. It took him a minute to realize their cheers were directed towards him, and what he just did. While he was used topraise for his feats in the past, this was something different. He saw that spark of hope in their eyes like they could win against the impossible. And this just made him even more nervous about who he was, and his role in the Rebel Alliance.

* * *

Astrid and the gang were sitting in the Mess Hall aboard _The Skullcrusher_ , enjoying a well-deserved meal after their mission at the weapons facility and their encounter with an AT-AT. While the prototype they encountered was destroyed, they couldn't find any of its plans in the data they stole, and they learned it was one of five prototypes. While they learned it wasn't indestructible, they doubt the Empire would fall for the same trick again.

While they were talking, Hiccup and Hammond walked past their table with their own meals, trying to find a quiet place to eat. Easier said than done, considering their status in the Rebel Alliance, particularly with Hiccup. In just a week, he saved two critical missions that were tittering on the edge of disaster, and his father had promoted the two of them to the rank of General, for their service to the Alliance.

Hiccup and Hammond found an empty table and sat down, but the moment they settled in, Alliance members, be it Berkian alien, rushed in and surrounded them, asking questions or offering praise for recent missions. Even those who were at Astrid's table joined in, leaving only her and Heather. Astrid looked over, furious how Hiccup seemed to go so much attention in such a short amount of time, then slammed her cup on the table and left the Mess Hall. She decided to head over to the Training Room, she needed to blow off some steam.

* * *

Streaks of red flew down the firing range, hitting the target down range, adding another scorch mark to a target already covered in them. From her station a hundred yards away, Astrid continued firing in rapid succession. She had been here for an hour, and she still felt furious. She pulled the trigger again but nothing came out. She looked at the training rifle in her hands and realized that it had overheated. Frustrated, she dropped the rifle and picked up her axe.

She walked to a section of the Training Room with heavy steps, where training dummies were set up for practice with vibro-weapons, and a sparing ring was a couple yards away. She approached one the dummy and swung at it, her axe implanting deeply due to the power in her swing. She would wrench the axe out and move on to the next one. She repeated this process for another hour, sometimes throwing a cartwheel, summersault, or throw to mix things up. Within that hour, she worked up a good sweat and was taking deep breaths. She always found that hitting something with her axe made her feel better, and it did help her a little bit just now.

While some her anger was gone, her thoughts on Hiccup were still there. She didn't understand it, in just a week, he salvaged two missions she was in charge of and unseating her command in the process, proved to be a far better pilot and fighter than her, and was promoted to General while she was still a Captain. She never cared for the position before, and preferred to be called Astrid instead of Captain Astrid, but something about Hiccup outranking her just angered her.

' _He must be showing off, trying to impress everyone and be a called a hero. That's what it is!_ " She thought to herself, it was the only answer she could come up with. With a sigh, she walked over to the refresher to wash up. She turned on the sink and washed off the sweat and soot from her training and dried off with a towel. Upon leaving the room, she decided a flight might clear her mind and made her way to the hanger.

She walked through the halls in silence. Every now and then, a crew member would walk by and be ready to greet her, but they would decide against it when they saw the look on her face. It was one of Astrid's look that says, "I'll hurt you if you just breathe in the wrong way around me." So they just left her alone. Eventually, she walked into Hanger One, where her X-Wing was always docked in. Upon a first glance, everything seemed normal. Pilots were in their jumpsuits talking about missions with each other, mechanics were working on ships, and astromech droids were cruising around the hanger from workplace to workplace. The only thing that stuck out as a crowd of people off to the side, like they were watching something.

Curious, she walked over to them. As she got closer, she heard the sounds of a lightsaber, the hissing sound it made as it moved through the air and the cracking sound it made when hitting another lightsaber or a blaster bolt. She arrived at the crowd and made her way to the front, where she discovered the source of the noises and the reason everyone was watching.

Heather was training again, she was wielding Hammond's lightsaber and was following a training remote, the spherical machine hovering in the air and occasionally letting out a puff of air to change direction. At random moments, the remote would fire its weak laser at Heather and she would deflect it with the lightsaber in her hand. To her surprise, Astrid discovered that Heather was wearing a helmet with a plate that blocked her vision, but she was still able to block the remote's laser fire.

"That's good," Astrid heard Hammond's voice call out. She looked over to see Hammond in his Jedi Robes without his armor, he stopped wearing it when not on missions, standing to the side and watching Heather train. This was clearly another exercise. Heather then blocked three consecutive shots, but the fourth one hit her in the shoulder when she couldn't block it in time.

Hammond didn't let this dampen his spirits, they had been doing this for an hour, and she was starting to catch on to the exercise. But he decided that was enough for now, "Alright Heather, you can take the mask off now. You're done for now." He told her.

Heather deactivated Hammond's lightsaber and took off the helmet, finally able to breathe properly. That helmet wasn't suffocating, but the mask would block most fresh air from coming in. She walked over to where Hammond, along with the rest of the gang including Astrid, and sat down on a crate. Hammond approached her and gave her a canteen of water, which Heather accepted. She brought the canteen up and drank it in greedy gulps. "Thank you," she said to Hammond when she was done.

"Your welcome," Hammond replied, sitting down next to her.

Now that things had slowed down, the crowd began to disperse and Astrid had a question that needed answering, "What was with the mask? Why was she training with it?" She asked, directing it towards Hammond.

Hammond picked up the helmet, "It's used so the wearer can get used to relying on the Force instead of their eyes." He responded, "'Your eyes can deceive you, don't trust them' my Master always told me." He added in with a nostalgic smile, remembering his Tahl Sathel's lessons well.

"Hmph, why would they say that?" Snotlout butted in.

Before Hammond could answer, Hiccup answered for him, "Tahl Sathel, Hammond's Master and the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order, was a Miraluka, a Force Sensitive species that is born without eyes."

When they heard that, this left everyone confused. "Then how do they see?" Fishlegs asked.

"Yeah, it's pretty hard to see without eyes, right sis?" Tuffnut added in.

Ruffnut nodded, "They are pretty essential."

Hammond was unfazed by this and answered plainly, "All Miraluka are born Force Sensitive, and they use the Force to see. I would wager they see better than every other species in the galaxy."

The gang was silent as they thought about his answer until the silence was broken by Snotlout's laughter. He was holding his stomach with one hand and wiping away a tear with the other. After his laughter died down, he decided to speak, "That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard." He stated bluntly.

Hiccup had his eyes narrowed, amazed by his cousin's insensitivity. He was about to speak, but they Hammond interrupted him. "Is that so?" he asked, standing up and grabbing his lightsaber from Heather. He then grabbed a rag and walked a couple of paces. Then he stopped and turned around, tying the rag around his head so his eyes were covered, making him blind. "The let's see how a blind man fights." He challenged.

Snotlout's eyes widened at the challenge as everyone looked at him. "What about you lightsaber, one mistake and I lose a limb," He pointed out in a hurry, trying to weasel his way out of the fight.

Hammond didn't respond, he just turned a notch on the hilt of his lightsaber, lowering its power levels. Once his adjustment was complete, he activated the lightsaber and hit his hand with it. To everyone's shock, it didn't cut through. It just bounced off his hand and left a small singe mark. "That fixes that problem unless you're afraid to lose," Hammond said to him.

Everyone in the hanger could hear a pin drop when Hammond issued that challenge. To avoid embarrassment, Snotlout pulled out his vibro-sword, "You're on." He responded, and gripped his sword with two hands. Hammond responded by bring his hands up and holding his lightsaber in a reverse grip, ready to strike.

Instead of charging in, Snotlout did the unexpected and began to creep around Hammond, making practically no sound. Meanwhile, Hammond reached out with the Force and his other senses. He could feel the air shift as Snotlout moved, hear Snotlout's quiet breaths and the sound of sweat falling off of his brow and hitting the floor, and his ungodly stench filled his nose, he could go by without that.

Slowly but surely, Snotlout made his way around to Hammond's exposed back. Once he was in position he went for an attack but was surprised when Hammond flipped his lightsaber and brought it to block his back. He pushed Snotlout's sword away and went on the offensive, fighting like he was still using his eyes. He went for an overhead attack, then an underhand, a side attack, and back to an overhead again in quick succession. Snotlout was barely able to keep his blade up, even getting singed in the shoulder by Hammond's blade.

Snotlout then pushed Hammond back with a shove and went for a two-handed attack, but Hammond caught his wrist and flipped him over. Snotlout landed on his back with a loud thud, knocking the wind out of him. When he got his breath back, he noticed Hammond's blade under his chin, the blue glow illuminating his face. Realizing he was beaten, Snotlout let his sword fall out of his hand, indicating his surrender.

The crowd watching was silent, in complete disbelief at what they had just seen except for Hiccup, Toothless, and Guardian, they knew that Hammond would win. Snotlout got up and limped away, he didn't anyone to see him like this. Hammond was about to leave, but the twins ran in with their electro-staffs, "We're next," they yelled out, wanting in on a piece of the action. Their staffs crackled to life with electricity, and Hammond let a smile crossed his face as he prepared for the next fight.

Heather watched from the side, just like when Hammond fought Snotlout, as Hammond fought the twins, ducking and dodging their attacks with ease. "He's incredible," She commented, "How does he do that?" She asked Hiccup.

"As part of his training, Master Sathel had Hammond live without his sight for six months, and it paid off," Hiccup replied, watching as Hammond defeated the twins by redirecting Tuffnut's swing so it hit Ruffnut while her jab hit Tuffnut. The two were hit by a non-lethal charge of electricity from their staffs and collapsed. Hammond was about to step out, but another Berkian stepped in, this on with a vibro-hatchet. Hammond decided to stay in, this was good practice.

While the gang watched, Fishlegs had his own question for Hiccup, "Who was your Master?"

While Hiccup was caught off guard at first, Hiccup was happy to answer, "My Master was Otto Graf, an Echani Jedi Master. He was a master Technician, could make any junk you give him work and make it look like a piece of art. He taught me everything he knew." Hiccup elaborated with a nostalgic smile.

Meanwhile, Hammond had just delivered a kick to the face of his Berkian opponent, knocking him out. "Which includes his sarcasm," Hammond directed at Hiccup, "Master Graf rarely spoke at important meetings, but when he did, there was some sarcasm there. Some Masters said that his sarcasm could start or end wars." He continued, then focused his attention to a Lasat wielding a bo-rifle that wanted a chance to spar with a Jedi, who his people held in high regard.

Hiccup sighed, but nodded his head in agreement, "Can't argue with that." He stated. Hiccup then sat down and decided to watch Hammond's duel with the Lasat. The Lasat was once a member of his world's Honor Guard before the Empire nearly wiped them out a year ago. It was unknown how many survived, but this Lasat was determined to find them all. The Lasat charged in and attacked with all of his might. Hammond blocked the attack but was caught off guard by his sheer strength. He pushed the Lasat back and rolled away before beginning his offensive.

While Hiccup was watching, he looked to Heather and realized he didn't know anything about her heritage, or if anyone in her family was ever Force Sensitive. "Heather, is it okay if I ask you something?" He asked awkwardly.

Heather looked at him, "Sure, what is it?" She answered.

"Uh, this is hard to ask, but where are your parents?" He asked nervously.

Heather froze for a minute and swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat, "Why do you ask?" She questioned.

Hiccup fidgeted with his hands, "I just want to know about your line, like if you have had ancestors who were Force Sensitive." He replied.

Heather took a breath in, trying to calm her emotions, "My parents are dead," She replied bluntly.

Hiccup's widened as he realized it must have been a sensitive subject for her, "Oh, uh, well, I'm sorry for your loss, and for asking." He said to her.

Heather looked way, "It's okay. You were going to ask at some point." She told him, then got up and walked away, desiring to be alone. This was noticed by Hammond, who just thrown the Lasat away from him.

Hiccup looked to Fishlegs and Astrid, "Her parents are a sensitive subject that's best not to bring up," Fishlegs advised him.

Hiccup sighed, "Yeah I just figured that." He replied. Astrid was about to speak, but then they noticed that Hammond had disappeared, Heather's departure had distracted them all, and now they were trying to find out where he went. Astrid looked back to Hiccup, "He does that," He told while shrugging. If Hammond disappears, then he has a good reason to, and it's best to just leave it at that.

* * *

Heather was staring out of a window, her eyes looking at the nearby nebula the fleet was gathered around. Nebulas made perfect places to hide since they scrambled with sensors and made detection difficult. She found the sight to quite beautiful and calming, especially after the subject of her parents was brought up. She wasn't angry at Hiccup, she knew he would find out eventually. She just didn't like talking about her parents, the memories were too painful.

"Beautiful sight isn't it?" She heard Hammond's voice say to her. She looked around to find the source of the voice but found nothing. Suddenly, Hammond appeared to her right, like someone removed a curtain that was covering him. It was his Force Cloak ability, he could use it combat, but he found more uses out of it when trying to escape the crowd for some alone time.

Needless to say, Heather was startled when Hammond appeared out of nowhere. "Please don't scare me like that again," She warned him, slightly out of breath from that scare. That scared her more than she was expecting.

Hammond chuckled, "Sorry about that," He apologized with a warming smile. After Heather calmed down, she returned her gaze to the nebula outside the window, observing its brilliant patterns of blues, greens, and reds. Hammond joined her, and there was an easy silence between the two as Hammond tried to figure out what to say next.

After a few moments, Hammond decided to speak, "So why did talk of your parents make you so upset," He asked her.

Heather was silent, torn between answering and staying silent. Eventually, she decided to speak, Hammond was her friend and Master, after all, he deserved to know. "It's just a touchy subject I don't like to talk about." She told him.

Hammond looked at her sympathetically, "I understand that, believe me." He said, referencing his own painful memories of the fall of the Jedi Order, "But, you showed me that talking about it, getting off your chest instead of holding it in, helps. So if you want to talk about it, I'll listen." He offered her, his eyes shining with kindness and concern.

Heather smiled in appreciation and took a few deep breaths, "My foster parents took great care of me," She started, not noticing Hammond's raised eyebrow at the word foster, "They raised me from the moment they found me like I was their actual daughter." She continued one smiling, but that smile fell, "They died when the Empire invaded, they died telling me to run." She finished, her voice shaking when she remember their final moments.

Hammond took a moment to think on her story, it was certainly understandable why it was a touchy subject for her. "You have my sympathies." He offered to her, to which she responded with a thankful smile. "But what about your birth parents, what happened to them?" Hammond asked her.

Heather paused for a moment before answering, "I don't know, my foster parents found me and my mother in an escape pod. My mother was already dead and my father was nowhere to be found, they guessed it was a pirate attack based on my mother's wounds" She told him, hugging herself in comfort.

Out of the blue, Hammond wrapped an arm around her shoulder and brought her closer, offering comfort to her. He didn't know why he did, he just acted out of instinct. Heather was unsure how to respond to this at first, but then she laid her head on Hammond's shoulder and a hand on his chest. She actually found this to be quite comfortable and let a smile form across her face. "Anything you remember about your birth parents?" Hammond asked her, hoping there were some happy memories in there.

Heather thought about that, shifting through her memories to find anything. "I remember my father's hands, they were rough, like he was working all the time. I remember playing with some of my father's tools, I don't think my mother approved of that." She recalled.

Hammond nodded, glad that she had some good memories of her parents. He decided not to press the issue anymore, and the two simply enjoyed each other's embrace as they gazed at the nebula.

* * *

Nar Shaddaa, the Smuggler's Moon. The moon orbited the world of Nal Hutta, the Hutt's main power base. The moon was similar to Coruscant, it was one big city. Unlike Coruscant, it was a slum, host to refugees and criminals from across the galaxy. It was the perfect place to hide.

On one of the spaceport's landing pad, a large and bulky ship was coming in for a landing. The ship was meant for a crew and balanced armor and firepower with speed and maneuverability. As the boarding ramp was boarded, two large figures emerged. These figures were lightly armored, but were armed to the teeth and looked like they meant business.

From the entrance of the landing pad, a deep blue toydarian approached them, his thin wings somehow kept his fat, stumpy body in the air. "You, you there!" He yelled to the two figures, "What's with you, think you can that piece of junk on my landing pad?!" He questioned, flying into one of the figure's face.

The man had to hold his nose, this toydarian clearly didn't believe in bathing. "We're landing here, like it or not. If you have a problem, take it up with the boss." The man told him.

The toydarian looked offended, "Of course I'll be taking it up with him, not a bunch of brain-dead goons like you. Now, where is your boss?" He yelled at them, unaware of a third figure moving behind him.

"He's right here," The figure responded in a cocky voice that was distorted by his helmet. The toydarian turned around but was gripped in terror when he saw what the figure was. It was a Mandalorian, standing about six feet and four inches tall, in green armor and a brown undersuit. The figure had two DL-18 blaster pistols on his belt, a jetpack with a concussion missile on his back, an EE-3 repeating rifle and vibro-sword were also on his back. On each of his armored gauntlets, he had dart launchers, flamethrowers, rope launchers, and mini rocket launchers. A vibro-knife was strapped to his back, and he even had a smaller vibro-knife stored in each of his boots. The Mandalorian's face was hidden by a helmet, with the T-shaped visor that the Empire based its trooper's helmets on. On his shoulder pad was his clan symbol, the face of an owl.

"Uh, I uh, I didn't mean to offend you, sir," The toydarian apologized pathetically, "It's just, this wasn't on my schedule, and I have all this work to do." He passed off as excuses.

But the toydarian was interrupted by the Mandalorian grabbing his hand and placing something in it. The Toydarian opened it up to see credit chips, totaling a value of five hundred, in his hand. "Does this covered the landing fees?" The Mandalorian asked arrogantly.

The toydarian's face lighten up, "Done! Pleasure doing business with you." He told him, before flying away.

The Mandalorian turned to the boarding ramp to see the rest of his crew unload, "Let's get moving lads, we got a Jedi to find!" He called out, getting himself ready for the hunt.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Wasn't expecting to update today, I had a writing binge and did half of this chapter in one day.**

 **I have a question for you guys: How would you feel if I brought in actual Star Wars characters? I'm not talking about major figures from the films but from the animated series, video games, and novels. Examples are Captain Rex, Zeb Orrelios, and Grand Admiral Thrawn. I mean, I've made mention to characters who lived thousands of years before the films, but that's a different beast entirely.**

 **Let me know what you think.**

 **Next thing, I won't be writing for a while, I'm going on a trip soon and won't be able to write again until next Monday. Just to let you know.**

 **If you like this story, please feel free to follow, favorite, and review, (this isn't just a cry for attention, it really helps with motivation) feel free to leave constructive critics in reviews, and I hoped you enjoyed this chapter.**


	11. Chapter 11- The Mandalorian and the Jedi

Chapter 11- The Mandalorian and the Jedi

* * *

Hiccup stood at the cliff's edge, the gray clouds overlooking the rocky terrain that stretched as far as the eye can see. The planet he was currently on was an uninhabited world that was stripped mined of all of its recourses thousands of years ago. Stoick had sent them here to scout it out as a potential home base. It was far enough from any inhabited worlds or trade routes that it wasn't worth the time to colonize.

As Hiccup observed the terrain in front of him with his macrobinoculars, he took some time to give some attention to his new armor. It was a gift from his parents, made by Gobber before he left for this mission. His armor consisted of Berkian leather that was brown in color with red accents, but his shoulder pads were black in color with a red, horned skull on them, a pair of leather boots with fur lining, a rare commodity at this time, gauntlets with Gronkle Iron infused in the that could deflect glancing blows from lightsabers and blaster bolts, and a green shirt underneath it all.

His admiration was interrupted by the sounds of footsteps behind him. He turned around to see Hammond walking up to him. "If the chief thinks this place will be a good base, we'll need to get used to rocks in our boots," Hammond grumbled, throwing the offending rock away from them.

Hiccup swallowed a laugh for the sake of his friend's pride, "I'll keep that in mind for the mission report," He joked before returning his attention to the view, "But I can see use using this place as a base." He added, feeling satisfied with their discovery.

However, Hammond didn't share his friend's enthusiasm. "All I can see is gray," He retorted cynically.

Hiccup looked back at him with a raised eyebrow, "Must you always be a cynic?" He asked him, trying to stay optimistic, only to earn a shrug in response.

"Hiccup, Hammond, are you there?" Came from the comm, gaining their attention, it was Astrid.

Hiccup picked up the communicator, and brought it to his mouth, "What is it, Astrid?" He asked her.

Hammond could hear her irritated sigh coming from the comm as she responded, and could feel her anger all the way from here. What why she so mad around Hiccup?

"Everyone is back at the ship except the twins, and we can't establish contact with them. They were close to your position last we checked, try and find them." She told them.

"Alright, we'll head out now," Hiccup responded, turning off the comm, then jumping off the cliff and landing on the ground with a thud, the Force cushioning his landing.

Hammond looked at the place where Hiccup was just a moment ago, then to his new position at the bottom of the chasm. "Always on the move," He muttered before doing the exact same thing he just did.

Once Hammond was on the ground, Hiccup was activating a tracker on one of his gauntlets, the device off a slow and quiet beeping as he moved it several directions, trying to find which direction the twins were at. Finally, the beeping became steady and louder as he pointed in the direction of a ravine in front of them.

"Looks like they went this way," He looked back and said to Hammond, who nodded in understanding.

With their path known to them, Hiccup and Hammond started walking down the ravine, the whistling of the wind and the steady beeping from Hiccup's tracker were the only sounds to fill their ears. Suddenly, the sound of falling rocks and displaced gravel echoed through the canyon, putting them on edge.

Hiccup looked all around them, his eyes scanning the tops of the ravine, searching for the source of the noise. "I have a bad feeling about this," he let out in a hushed tone, trying to keep his nerves in check. He could feel hostile eyes burrowing into him.

They were being watched.

"It's never good hearing that come from you," Hammond stated, sharing in Hiccup's on edge state.

The two continued to look around, the steady beeping the only sound heard in the canyon. "This reminds me of that encounter with those rathars and the missing colonists," Hiccup muttered, trying to start a conversation so he could take the focus away from his racing heartbeat.

But this didn't work as planned, "Don't bring that into this, I couldn't sleep for a week after seeing those things and what they did to the colonists!" Hammond practically shouted at him, the visual images of rotating teeth, slimy tentacles, and beady eyes filling his head.

Before Hiccup could retort, the tracker started to beep faster and louder. They looked ahead to see that something was on the ground in front of them. They walked forward, the beeping gaining in pace with every step. When they arrived at the object, the beeping was so fast it had just become one continues beeping noise.

At their feet was a small white cylinder with a black grip in the middle of it, it was the twin's communicator. "So this is here," Hammond started, "then where are Ruffnut and Tuffnut," he asked, earning a shrug from Hiccup.

"AHHHHH!"

The scream caused them to spin towards its origin, their lightsabers flying to their hands and igniting with a snap-hiss.

"LOKI'D!"

Hiccup and Hammond's eyes widened as they took in the sight in front of them; the twins laughing at them. It was all another one of their pranks. "Are you kidding me?!" Hammond hissed as he deactivated his lightsaber.

Tuffnut wiped a tear from his eye, "Did you see their faces sis," He asked Ruffnut, who was till laughing.

Once she was finished laughing, she gave them an answer, "Oh yes I did."

Tuffnut nodded and stood triumphantly, "Full Loki, no more Loki's to be had," he stated proudly.

Hiccup deactivated his lightsaber and looked over to Hammond, "Is this normal for them," he asked him.

Hammond's face was one of irritation, "you have no idea," he answered, then turned his attention to the twins, picking up the communicator as he walked over to them, "You guys could have been killed…" he began to chastise the twins with.

Meanwhile, Hiccup just stayed back, still on edge. Something wasn't right, he could still feel some kind of danger nearby, but he didn't know what. Suddenly, he heard a lightsaber activate and fly through the air, the hissing sound it made was unmistakable. "Look out!" He yelled, then sending Hammond and the twins forward with a Force push.

In the place Hammond once stood, a lightsaber was plunged into the ground by a large figure, hissing as it entered into the stone. The figure stood up and faced Hiccup, giving him a good look at his features.

"Ryker?" Hiccup questioned, remembering the description Hammond gave him.

Ryker raised his eyebrow as he scrutinized his new opponent, "So you must be Hiccup, Darth Insanus has told me about you. He was right when he said you don't look like much," He gloated.

Hiccup pulled out his lightsaber and held in front of him with both hands, the green blade bathing his face in its glow. "Hammond was right, you look like a psychopath," He quipped, keeping his face stern as he prepared for battle.

Ryker's eye twitched in rage as he activated his doublesaber and disk, the blades becoming a blur of red as they spun. He charged in and brought his lightsaber down in an overhead attack, but Hiccup stepped out the way and went for his exposed back, but Ryker's lightsaber came back around and blocked it, the blades hissing and cracking as they made continues contact.

Meanwhile, Hammond and the twins were a mess of bodies and limbs, a result of Hiccup's actions. "Ugh, do you two ever bath," Hammond complained as their body odor filled his nose, his face scrunched up in disgust.

"Of course, we do," Ruffnut responded sounding offended.

Tuffnut shrugged as they got untangled, "Just not always," he added casually.

Hammond just sighed, then the sound lightsabers clashing made him look to Hiccup and Ryker. Ryker just ducked a high slash and low kicked Hiccup's left shin, but instead of flesh and bone, his boot made a clang as it hit metal. Ryker's eyes widened in surprise and Hiccup used said leg to kick him in the gut, knocking the wind out of him.

"One of the uses of a metal leg," Hiccup commented, causing the anger in Ryker to swell. At that moment, Hiccup went in on the offensive with a thrust, but Ryker deflected it. His lightsaber continued to spin, keeping Hiccup at bay.

Once he was one his feet, Hammond pulled out his lightsaber and prepared to help Hiccup, but he was stopped by another red lightsaber sailing towards him. He managed to deflect it away from him at the last moment and the lightsaber returned to its owner.

It was Viggo, standing atop of the ravine's and looking down on them with a smug smile. His lightsaber returned to his hand, only one red blade activated. He then stepped off the cliff fell to the ground, landing in a crouch. "Ah, it's good to see you again Hammond, but I don't see your Padawan with you. She and I have so much to talk about." He greeted him with, the threat in his words not being lost.

Hammond responded by bringing his lightsaber up, "You won't have her."

But Viggo's smile didn't falter as he brought his lightsaber parallel to his face, basking it in the red glow of the blade, and put his other hand behind his back. "We shall see," He responded in a cool and collected tone.

The two squared off, waiting for the other to make the first move. This time, it was Viggo who went for the first attack, charging at Hammond with a thrust. Hammond blocked it and directed it to go to his right, then went for an uppercut slash that Viggo stepped back to avoid.

As the Jedi and Inquisitors were fighting, the twins sat back and watched with glee, "This is so much more awesome than what was happening five seconds ago." Tuffnut commented.

"Agreed," Ruffnut replied.

"Hiccup, Hammond are you there? Ruff, Tuff, is anyone there?" Broke through the air, it was their communicator. It was Astrid.

Tuffnut and Ruffnut looked at each other for a moment, nervous about answering. No one would talk to Astrid when she's angry, but they had to.

Tuffnut picked the communicator off the ground and held it between the two, "We're here," he answered.

"Where are you, idiots?!" Astrid screamed through the comm.

"Uh, we're a little preoccupied right now," Ruffnut replied.

"With what?!" Astrid responded.

` Before the twins could answer, Hammond was thrown into the wall next them. Hammond shook the dizziness off, then jumped away from the wall as Viggo charged forward and slashed the wall. Hammond went for an overhead slash, but Viggo blocked it and kicked him back.

"Never mind, activate your homing beacon and we'll be on our way!" Astrid ordered the communicator beeping as it went silent again. While Ruffnut put the communicator on her belt, Tuffnut activated his homing beacon that was on his gauntlet, the device making a soft and steady beeping.

Meanwhile, Hiccup and Hammond had been forced back to back. Hiccup kept two hands on his blade, pointing it towards an advancing Ryker, and Hammond had his blade in a reverse grip with one hand free as Viggo held his ground, looking on arrogantly

Hiccup looked back to Hammond, "Switch," he asked him.

Confusion formed on Hammond's face, but he remembered the move he was referring to. "Fine by me," he responded, readying himself for what was about to happen.

In an instant, Hammond flung his hand forward, the pebbles on the ground shaking before they began to fly towards Viggo, who brought his hands up to protect his face, caught off-guard by such an unexpected move. Ryker began to charge in, but Hiccup sent him back with a Force push. Then, Hammond jumped into the air and flipped through the air so he could face Ryker. Hiccup then twirled around to face Viggo and charged him with a thrust.

Viggo had just brought his hands down in time to see the attack. He quickly moved his head to the left, the green blade just missing it by inches, close enough to feel the heat emanating from the blade. He then brought his blade down on Hiccup's, deflecting it away from him.

Viggo went for another attack, a diagonal slash, but Hiccup countered it and redirected it, using Viggo's own momentum against him. Hiccup slashed for Viggo's head, which he ducked to avoid, but Hiccup continued spinning and kicked Viggo in the gut, causing him to stumble.

Viggo stood back up, surprised and slightly impressed by the Jedi's skills. "So, you must be Hiccup Haddock," He greeted, Hiccup at the ready for the next move. "I've read all about your tactics used in The Clone Wars, they are now a part of the Imperial Academy's curriculum. Even in Rebellion, your legacy still serves the Empire." He commented, trying to get under Hiccup's skin. It seemed like he was successful as Hiccup's eyes slightly widened and he charged forward.

From their position, Tuffnut watched the fight with enthusiasm and excitement. However, his sister's voice interrupted his enjoyment, "Let's go, Astrid and the others won't be able to pick up from here." It was true, the ravine was too small for them to land in.

However, Tuffnut wasn't so enthusiastic. "Oh come on, it's just starting to get good," he whined, but Ruffnut wasn't having any of it. She grabbed him by his hair and dragged him down one of the paths that lead away from the fighting. It was practically a maze going through the small canyons, with dead ends and looping around every other turn.

Eventually, they found an opening that lead them to a cliff, the ground was thousands of feet below them and shrouded by a thick fog. The area at the top of the cliff was a perfect extraction point.

"Astrid, we got you a landing zone." Ruffnut relayed into her communicator.

Astrid's response was instant, "We're one our way."

Ruffnut deactivated her communicator and looked to the sky, waiting for their ship. "Wait, what about Hammond and Hiccup?" Tuffnut asked her.

Ruffnut face palmed, realizing she didn't think about them. "Oh yeah, I didn't think about that, whoops." She responded, "Lets' go find them."

As soon as she said those words, Hiccup landed about ten meters away with a thud, the impact kicking up dust. Hiccup coughed, the impact knocking the wind out of him. He looked up in time to see Viggo sailing through the air with his lightsaber ready to strike him down. Fortunately, Hiccup brought his lightsaber up and blocked the attack, but Viggo pressed the blades closer and closer to his face. Suddenly, Hiccup struck Viggo with his leg, pushing him away. He then rolled back and onto his feet, ready for the next attack.

Viggo looked at Hiccup, amused by the challenge Hiccup was providing. "Your lightsaber skills are legendary; a pity you aren't living up to them" He taunted, sending Hiccup a smug smile.

Suddenly, Hammond appeared out of nowhere, being thrown by a Force push from Ryker, but landed on his feet. Ryker charged him and launched a relentless attack, one which Hammond couldn't hold off for long. Ryker attacked with a horizontal slash which Hammond stepped back to avoid, but it wasn't enough. The blade went through Hammond's lightsaber, severing in two. The pieces landed one the ground with a clank, the pieces letting out dull sparks.

Hammond's eyes widened, his lightsaber had been destroyed, even the crystal had been cut in half.

He didn't have time to focus on it as Ryker continued his attack, forcing Hammond to dodge. He jumped back, landing next to the twins who had just pulled out their electro-staffs. Hiccup was thrown back by Viggo, joining the three at the cliff's edge.

"Nowhere to run Jedi," Ryker stated, overconfident that their fates had been sealed.

Hiccup readied himself, but his attention was drawn to the sky, then the cliff behind him. He looked back and the inquisitors and smiled, "Actually, there is one place for us to go."

Hammond tensed at that statement, "Oh I hate it when he says that," he moaned, causing the twins to feel excited. This sounds like it was going to be fun.

"JUMP!" Hiccup ordered and jumped off the cliff, followed by Hammond and the twins. The two inquisitors ran to the edge, looking down the cliff's edge to the falling rebels.

While Hiccup and Hammond fell in silence, the twins were screaming. "This is awesome and scary," Tuffnut yelled.

It was at that moment, _The_ _Night Fury_ flew next to them, following their dive. The four of them controlled their falls so they could get closer to the ship. As soon as they grabbed ahold of something on the ship, _The Night Fury_ pulled up, leveling out so they could enter the ship through the exterior hatch.

As this was happening, Viggo and Ryker watched them fly away, seething in their hatred and anger. "Gr, they away again!" Ryker hissed, kicking a rock off the edge of the cliff.

While his brother expressed his anger externally, Viggo kept his contained, preferring to think calmly and clearly. "It doesn't matter, we weren't here for them," He stated, pulling out a small pyramid that was glowing red with markings on each of its sides.

It was a Sith Holocron.

* * *

The exterior hatch of _The Night Fury_ closed with a hiss. Hiccup, Hammond, and the twins were now safely inside the ship, catching their breath from their encounter. Astrid walked in from the bridge, "What happened," she asked them, urgency and irritation in her voice.

"Inquisitors, Viggo and Ryker," Hiccup answered plainly.

Everyone's eyes widened when they heard that, "well, guess we won't be using this planet as a base," Hammond stated, echoing everyone's thoughts.

The room was silent, agreeing with Hammond's statement. As they were about to leave, Fishlegs noticed something. "Hammond, where's your lightsaber," he asked when he noticed it was missing.

Hammond's body went tense, feeling the eyes of everyone in the room upon him. "Ryker... destroyed it," he muttered, looking down at the floor in front of him.

Silence took over the hold again until it was interrupted by Snotlout, "Really, I thought lightsabers were supposed to be indestructible?" He asked arrogantly and insensitively.

Heather glared at him, "Snotlout," she chastised him, completely surprised he had to throw his attitude around now.

Snotlout was about to response, but glares from Heather and Astrid shut him up. "Can't you make a new one," Fishlegs asked, not fully understanding the gravity of the situation.

"No, we don't have the parts, and lightsaber crystals are rare. The only place you find them in abundance is on Ilum, and the planet is controlled by the Empire," Hammond answered with a sorrowful voice.

Hiccup sighed, feeling sorry for his friend but unable to help him. "We'll figure something out," He told Hammond, before proceeding to the cockpit.

All the others went to their stations throughout the ship, except Heather who decided to sit down next to Hammond. "What kind of Jedi loses his lightsaber," Snotlout asked as he left, making sure Hammond heard him.

Heather's eyes snapped to where Snotlout jus was, glaring at his back as he left. Once he was gone, she turned her attention back to Hammond, and placed a hand on Hammond's soldier, as a gesture of reassurance. Hammond flashed her a grateful smile, but Snotlout's question lingered on his mind.

What kind of Jedi was he?

* * *

On Nar Shaddaa, the Mandalorian Bounty Hunter continued his search for the Jedi, asking questions and bribing locals for information. All he had so far is that the Jedi wore a cloak with a hood to cover their face and that they were usually spotted in the refuge sector. So that is where he was now.

He walked through the crowds of people, bumping into them as they moved like a sea. Suddenly, the crowd began to part as a man ran through the streets, his eyes emulating his fear. The Mandalorian got a look at the man, recognizing him from a Hutt Bounty List, making him worth quite a bit of money.

Before he could react, something hit the back of the man's neck and he collapsed to the ground with a thud. The crowd circled the man's body as it twitched for a few seconds, then going still. The Mandalorian took a closer look at the body and noticed blood leaking out of the neck. A normal blaster didn't do this; a slug thrower did.

And there was only one man he knew that used slug throwers.

The Mandalorian tracked the shot to a likely origin, the rooftops a couple hundred yards away. On top of the roof, a figure in white was holding a sniper rifle and peered back at him, sending him a silent warning, before disappearing.

Once the man was gone, the Mandalorian took his eyes away from the spot and looked into the crowd. Then he saw it, a hooded figure who was watching the scene with the rest of them.

The figure clearly realized they were being watched as they began to walk way and a suspiciously fast pace. The Mandalorian pushed a button on his gauntlet and followed, his instincts screaming at him to do so. The figure went down an alley and he followed, but it turned out to be a dead end.

The figured looked up at the wall in front of them, realizing they had just cornered themselves. "You lost," The Mandalorian asked, leaning against a stack of crates.

The figured responded by thrusting their hand forward, causing the Mandalorian and the crates to be thrown back by an invisible force, then they made a run for the exit. However, the Mandalorian grabbed the figure's robe as they ran past them, causing them to jerk back and fall. To escape, the figure ditched the robe, revealing their identity.

It was a human woman about twenty-one years of age. She had red, wavy, hair that was loose and went to her shoulder blades. Her eyes were brown and were scanning for a way out, but the Mandalorian could see the panic in them. She stood at five feet and eight inches, but her athletic form gave off an air of strength and resilience. She was dressed in Jedi robes, but they were dirty and tattered, and she had two lightsabers on her belt.

She didn't stay down long and ran for the exit, but several of the Mandalorian's crew blocked the exit, their rifles humming as they powered up. Before they could open fire, the figure leaped into the air, landing on a balcony and using it to propel on the roof.

The Mandalorian stood up, his helmet getting a good view of the Jedi's face. "Cut her off, I'll pursue her on the roof," he ordered the men there and on the comm. His men present nodded and left. The Mandalorian pushed another button on his gauntlets and his jetpack activated, carrying him above the rooftops.

Once he was there, he could see the Jedi running, her from a blur on the rooftops. He leaned forward and put more power into the jetpack, propelling him forward. "Boss, we need to take her alive," A voice cracked in the communicator in his helmet.

"Why is that," the Mandalorian asked.

"That woman is Runa Organa, and Alvin has placed a five million credit bounty on her if she's brought in alive," The man, is technician back at the ship who watches his missions through a camera in his helmet.

The Mandalorian nearly froze in the air. Five million credits. Looks Runa had crossed Alvin once, and he took even slight offenses seriously. "Well you heard him, lads, we're taking her to Alvin alive."

The Jedi, now known as Runa got to the edge of the building, the next one was across a chasm that had airspeeders flying through it. The jump was too far, and if she could make it, she was at risk of being hit by an airspeeder.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a jetpack shutting down and metal boots hitting the ground. She turned around to see that the bounty hunter had her cornered. "Impressive chase you lead me on, but no one gets away from me in the end," the Mandalorian said, walking towards her casually with his hands near his blasters.

Runa didn't respond, she simply reached for lightsabers on her belt and held them in a reverse grip. The lightsabers activated simultaneously, their purple blades providing an intimidating backdrop. The Mandalorian paused for a moment, finding the image to be beautiful in a frightful kind of way, but it didn't hold his interest for long. He pulled out his pistols and started firing, streaks of red emerging from them and heading towards Runa. Runa blocked and deflected each shot, and made a slow advance towards the Mandalorian. When she got close enough, she slashed both blades at the Mandalorian's legs, but he activated his jet pack and took off, just within inches of losing his legs.

He continued firing one her, to which she either deflected the shots or rolled out of the way of them. Fed up with her evasion, he launched the missile on his back and it homed in on her. She jumped out of away, avoiding the brunt of the impact, but the shockwave sent her flying. She landed with a crouch and readied herself.

The Mandalorian flew towards her, to which she jumped up and kicked him in the chest, knocking him out of the sky and back onto the ground. He landed on the ground with a thud, his jetpack sparking and unusable. Standing back up with a grunt, he reached for something on his belt and threw them at Runa.

She braced for a grenade but was greeted by several pellets. Most of them missed her, but one stuck to the lightsaber in her left hand. Suddenly, electricity flowed through the weapon, shorting it out and turning it off. She was left with only one lightsaber now.

The Mandalorian, with his blaster nowhere in sight, pulled out his vibro-sword and charged in. He attacked with an overhead, to which Runa brought her lightsaber up to block. The Mandalorian used his size to drive her back, but she went with and rolled backwards, sending him tumbling forward. Runa slashed her lightsaber where he was, but he continued rolling, eventually returning to his feet. He thrust his blade forward, only to miss and to have it knocked out of his hand and receive a heel to his helmet, knocking it off and sending him stumbling back.

Runa got a look at the man's face, his black hair that was swept back, brown eyes, and blue tattoos on his chin. He looked about twenty-seven years of age.

The Mandalorian straightened up, "not bad, for a Jedi," he complimented.

Runa eyes widened in surprise for a moment, breaking her out of her observation of him, "who are you?" she asked him in irritation.

"Oh excuse me where are my manners," he asked, acting formally, "I'm Eret, son of Eret, of Clan Eret. The finest Bounty Hunter alive."

Runa looked on in disbelief at Eret's boasting, "and the Bounty Hunter with the most ridiculous name," she commented with a wry smile.

Eret looked at her in offense and pulled out his vibro-knife from his back and pointed it at her, "After all, it's not any Bounty Hunter that can capture a Jedi," he added, then charged at her again.

He took a few swipes at her, all of them missing. Runa attempted to attack, but Eret grabbed her wristed and squeezed, causing her to drop her lightsaber. Eret kicked it away for good measure. He attempted to overpower her, using his superior strength. To his surprise, Runa kneed him in the gut, then grabbed the wrist with the knife in and flipped him to his back, seemingly knocking him out.

With Eret unconscious, Runa took a moment to catch her breath, "I'm not impressed," she panted, before reaching for her lightsaber.

Suddenly, she felt something grab her ankle and felt electricity flow through her body. After a few seconds, the electricity ceased and she collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Eret stood back up, his pal sparking with electricity, the decoy worked. "You should be," he said to her unconscious form as pride filled him.

He had just captured his first Jedi.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **If you like this story, please feel free to follow, favorite, and review, feel free to leave constructive critics in reviews, and I hoped you enjoyed this chapter.**


	12. Chapter 12- The Deal and the Hustle

Chapter 12- The Deal and the Hustle

* * *

Coruscant, a world inhabited by billions of sentient beings all in one city that dominated the surface of the entire planet. From here, the Galactic Republic spread its influence across the galaxy, bringing many worlds into its fold on their own free world. Now, it was the hub of the Empire and the headquarters of their military. From here, The Imperial Navy could be given orders to conquer new worlds or subjugate rebellious ones.

Skyscrapers dotted the planet's surface, the planet's surface having long been covered by residences and businesses. Within the governing district, the former Presidential Place of the Supreme Chancellor had been torn down was in the midst of being replaced by the Imperial Place, which would be far larger than any other structure on the planet once completed.

From within the half-finished palace, the Emperor gazed out the window of his throne room in the direction of the now ruined Jedi Temple. The Jedi had hunted the Sith for thousands of years, now the tables had turned. It was now the Jedi who were facing extinction, and the Sith who were in power. Gazing at the Temple reminded him of this, and filled him a mix of pride and accomplishment, the Sith had finally taken their revenge.

His gaze was interrupted by the hissing of the door opening and the clacking of combat boots. The Emperor swiveled in his chair and peered down the stairs to see two figures taking a knee and bowing their heads below him; the Grand Inquisitor and the First Brother.

"My Lord," the Grand Inquisitor spoke up, his voice quieter than normal.

The Emperor leaned forward, "Viggo, you have something for me?"

Viggo reached into a pouch on his belt and pulled out the Sith Holocron. He raised it to him in both hands and held it out to the Emperor. The Emperor responded by raising his right hand and the Holocron snapped to him, the red glow increasing once it was in his palm.

The Emperor smiled, "You've done well Viggo," he complimented as he gazed at the Holocron. He had been searching for this Holocron for years, it contained knowledge the Jedi sought to hide from the Sith, knowledge that could be used to crush his enemies. "Were there any complications."

The two brothers looked at each other for a moment, but Ryker was the one to answer, "We encountered the Jedi after we found the artifact my Lord Emperor."

The Emperor's gaze was torn from the Holocron and pointed their direction with angry eyes. "What?!"

The brothers did their best not to flinch at the anger in the Emperor's voice, or the surge in Dark Side power. "We were preparing to leave the planet when we encountered the Jedi my Lord Emperor," Viggo explained, "We ambushed them and they were forced flee the planet."

"Anything else," the Emperor asked, his raspy voice having a cold edge to it.

Ryker reached into a compartment on is belt and pulled out the parts of Hammond's destroyed lightsaber, "I destroyed the lightsaber of Hammond, the Padawan's teacher."

The Emperor's body relaxed and he leaned back into his throne, "Do you know why the Jedi were there?"

"We are not sure my Lord Emperor," Viggo answered.

The sound of the door opening diverted their attention to the entrance, where an officer was entering the room. He wasn't just any officer, his crisp white uniform with gold epaulets revealed his rank as a Grand Admiral. But that wasn't his most striking feature; he eyes were completely red, minus the black pupils that all humanoids shared, his skin was blue and he hair was blackish-blue in color.

He was a Chiss, an alien species from the Unknown Regions. To a few, he was known as; Mitth'raw'nuruodo, but the rest of the Galaxy knew him as Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Thrawn approached the stairs up to the Emperor's throne and joined the brothers in kneeling. "My Lord Emperor," he greeted with an emotionless and chilling voice.

The Emperor shifted, hiding the Holocron in his cloak. "Grand Admiral, you have something for me?"

"Yes My Lord Emperor, I have discovered that the Rebels are seeking to build a secret base."

The Emperor leaned forward in his throne, "How do you know this," he asked, genuinely interested.

Thrawn looked up to the Emperor, meeting his eyes, "We managed to capture a scout ship. After interrogating the crew, they revealed that their mission was to find a planet suitable to build a base large enough to coordinate their operations, but would remain a secret to us."

Viggo shared a look with Ryker and the Emperor, in their minds they realized that was why they encountered the Jedi. "Grand Admiral Thrawn, Grand Inquisitor, First Brother, "he began, "I want you to assist my apprentice in destroying this Rebellion and the Jedi through any means necessary."

The trio nodded and stood up, "As you wish My Lord Emperor," Viggo responded with a quick bow of his head.

"Go," the Emperor ordered, wishing to crack the secrets of the Holocron as soon as possible.

Viggo and Ryker followed Thrawn out of the room, keeping a close eye on the Grand Admiral. "So, I understand you've encountered these Rebels before," Thrawn stated, not so much asking a question as he was confirming what he had been told.

"Twice now," Ryker responded with a pointed stare and a steely edge in his voice.

Unfazed by the underlying threat, Thrawn continued his questioning, "And what would you say is their greatest strength?"

"Their resolve," Viggo answered immediately, "They believe in what they're fighting for and are willing to die for it. If we're going to defeat the Rebels, we'll have to break them." As they continued walking down the halls, the only sound that could be heard was the construction droids working and the clacking of their boots, Viggo combed his brain for anything that could be useful. And he found it, "And I think I know how."

"What is it," Thrawn asked, stopping outside of a door that had to be his office.

"Have you ever heard of the Rakghoul Plague?"

Thrawn narrowed his eyes, unsettled by what Viggo was suggesting. But nonetheless, he was curious what his plan was, "Go on."

Viggo smiled, "The Rakghoul Plague was breathed by a Sith Lord named Karness Murr thousands of years ago. He even created a talisman that could turn any non-Force Sensitive human into a Rakghoul and control any sentient infected by the virus. Imagine the horror the soldiers of the Rebellion would feel to see their fellows turn into flesh hungry beasts. No one would rebel against the Empire again."

Ryker nodded, thinking the plan was sound, albeit dangerous one. Thrawn, however, disagreed completely. "And what would happen if our own troopers were infected, or if this disease were to infect the population of an industrial world? We would do more damage to the Empire than we would the Rebellion," He reasoned, not giving Viggo the chance to defend his plan.

Thrawn opened the door to his office and walked in. Ryker stepped forward like he was about to strangle him, but a hand on his shoulder and a look from Viggo convinced him to back down. The two entered the office and were surprised to see holograms of art all over the room.

"What's this," Ryker asked, confused by what was in front of him.

"To defeat an enemy you must know them," Thrawn began walking past the art pieces, all of which were pieces of dragons, to his desk where several datapads lay, "Not simply their battle tactics, but their history, philosophy, art," he continued listing, picking up one of the datapads.

"And how does that help," Ryker asked, still not seeing the purpose of all of this.

Thrawn looked at him, then walked up to one of the art pieces. "A picture says a thousand words, but if you look closely, it will tell you more," he said, observing the details of a monstrous nightmare painting. "The strokes on this piece are simple and crude, but effective. Much like Berkians themselves."

"Go on," Viggo encouraged, interested in what Thrawn had to say.

"Berkians are a plain people, their tactics say the same, but they've survived for thousands of years because of this. Many of the Rebellion's leadership are Berkian, as such their tactics and such have carried over. They find a weak spot and exploit it, we can use this to our advantage," Thrawn answered, pulling up a holographic display of a battlefield on his desk, one side had the Rebel insignia, the other had the Empire's insignia.

"How?"

Thrawn looked up at Viggo, "Picture this; the Rebellion is attacking a fortified Imperial position, but then they find a weak spot," he answered, changing the battle on the display to fit his description. "The Rebellion would attack this position and overwhelm it, pushing through our lines. But the deeper they go in, the more they find themselves surrounded. And that is when you deal the deathblow, cut off their escape and they'll have nowhere to go. They'll be the architects of their own destruction," He finished, the hologram now showing the Rebellion figures surrounded by the Empire and being eliminated.

* * *

Eret's arrived at Tatooine, where Alvin's Palace was located north of Mos Eisley. The structure was built into the side of a mountain, where the main hanger was located. The palace itself was a circular center stricter and several towers, once a monastery until Alvin took over.

Eret's ship landed in the hanger. Upon leaving the ship, Eret was greeted by Alvin's lieutenant; Savage, a man with a thick mustache that Eret could only describe as a weasel. "What do you want, Bounty Hunter?"

Ignoring the harsh and demanding tone in his voice, Eret snapped his fingers. From the ship, two of Eret's crew emerged with Runa struggling between them, who had her hands cuffed behind her back and was gagged. "I believe your boss is interested in this particular Jedi," Eret replied, his helmet hiding the arrogant look on his face.

Runa simply sent him a death glare and a muffled growl, wishing she could wipe the smirk off of his face.

Savage took a closer look at Runa, ignoring the death glare she was giving him. Returning to Eret, "And what of her lightsabers," he brought up, suspecting that Eret may be trying to cheat Alvin.

Eret pulled the lightsabers off of his belt, handing them over to Savage so he can inspect them. He looked over every detail, even activating them to prove that they were authentic. "Satisfied?"

Looking back at Eret, Savage was both pleased and irritated. Irritated by his attitude, but satisfied that he had brought them Runa. "Follow me," he ordered.

Eret nodded to his men, who followed him, guiding Runa along with them. "Alvin will be pleased with you," Savage commented.

"He can show me how pleased he is by paying me," Eret responded.

"Of course," Savage replied, "Did she give you any trouble?"

Eret shrugged, "Not too much once she was caught, although she did bite one of my crew." To prove his point, one of his men raised his hand, showing off the bandages.

"That sounds like Runa alright," Savage commented, "Explains the gag," he muttered to himself.

"Speaking of which, why would Alvin post such a large bounty for this particular Jedi?"

"That's Alvin business," Savage turned around, pointing one of Runa's lightsaber hilts at his face, "But I will say this; she cost him a lot of money once. Keep that in mind if want to keep your skin on."

"Noted," Eret muttered, unfazed by the threat. Once Savage turned away from him, Eret grabbed his shoulder and threw him against a wall, pressing his arm into his throat. "Word of advice; never threaten a Mandalorian unless you're willing to back that threat up. We don't make threats, we make promises," he advised, earning a gargled grunt and a nod. His point proven, Eret dropped the man and let him resume walking in front of him.

Savage guided them through the hallways until they got to the main room. On his throne, Alvin, a Berkian with ashy brown hair and a thick beard, was enjoying a show from his dancers. They had just finished their act when Savage walked up to Alvin, whispering something in his ear. A smile crept across his face and he waved Eret and his crew in.

"Well, what do we have here," Alvin announced, leaning forward in his seat.

"I believe you posted a bounty on this Jedi," Eret answered, standing with a hand on his hip.

Savage handed Alvin the lightsabers, who appeared to be very pleased with this turn of events. Snapping his fingers, six guards moved towards Eret's group, "We'll take her off your hands now," he told Eret, as he leaned back and waited.

The moment Eret's crew stood back and Alvin's guards approached her, Runa made her move. She kicked one guard in the face with her heel, then spun around and roundhouse kicked another guard in the back of the head. A third guard grabbed her from behind, but she managed to kick his shin and he released her, right before she turned around and kicked him in the groin.

Unfortunately, her attempted escaped ended when a fourth guard raised his stun blaster and fired. The blue rings of energy hit her body and she collapsed to the ground. The remaining two guards cuffed her feet together and picked her up, taking her away.

Eret watched this all unfold, impressed by her unarmed combat skills. She would make on hell of a Mandalorian. As he watched the men take her away, he felt something, just for a brief moment.

But he put the feeling away and looked back to Alvin, "You sure you can handle her?"

"Worry about your own skin, Mandalorian," Alvin responded, a steely edge in his voice.

"Fair enough," Eret shrugged, "Now, about my reward."

Alvin went silent for a moment, his hands in front of his face, "Well, we have a problem there."

"What is it," Eret asked, his hands near his blasters in case this was a betrayal.

"One of my previous finance managers was careless and made far too many errors concerning my accounts, so he had to be…terminated," Alvin informed him, "So until my new finance manager gets my accounts cleaned up, I can't go about spending too much money, sorry."

Eret didn't believe him for a second, he knew he was lying. "We brought this Jedi to you, and she was quite a handful. We're not leaving until we've been paid," he yelled at him, taking a step forward.

Before he could take a second step, all the guards had their weapons primed and aimed at him, daring him to take another step. But Alvin raised his hand, signaling them to stand down. He then threw one of Runa's lightsabers to him, "There's your reward, we'll transfer the credits to your account when the time comes," he stated.

"And what am I supposed to do with this," Eret asked, holding the lightsaber up.

"Sell it, keep it as a trophy, I don't care," Alvin shrugged.

Realizing he had outstayed his welcome, Eret turned on his heels and went down the hallway they came in, his crew following him. "This isn't over, Alvin," he promised, before disappearing from Alvin's sight.

Savage leaned in, "You're not actually going to pay him are you," he whispered.

"Of course not," Alvin said as he stood up, "Contact Darth Insanus, I have an offer for him, one that he can't refuse."

* * *

Aboard _The Skullcrusher_ , the Rebel Alliance was testing out newly acquired Imperial Codes. One of their spies managed to download and send it to them. If they could break it, they could intercept Imperial communications as they happened.

"Almost done, and…got it," a technician exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air in celebration.

Stoick and several Alliance leaders, including the Jedi and their companions, stood around the main console as they shifted through all Imperial communications. Unfortunately, most of it was useless chatter between the Moffs. "Anything important we can use," Stoick asked.

"We're still searching."

"Wait," one technician called out, "there's an ongoing conversation between Darth Insanus and someone outside of Imperial communication," she informed them.

"Put it on the main holoprojector," Valka ordered.

Instantly, the holoprojector flickered to life as Darth Insanus's armored form appeared along with Alvin, much to the shock of everyone in the room. "What do you want Alvin," Darth Insanus asked, clearly irritated by the call.

"So ungrateful, I have something that could make your day," Alvin responded, rolling his eyes.

"Unless it's Hiccup's head, I don't care," Darth Insanus growled, his voice modulator emphasizing the growl.

"Ever so bloodthirsty," Alvin commented, "But I do have something you may be interested in; Runa Organa."

The entire room was silent, confused by the name they had just heard. But not Hiccup and Hammond, their slice was one of shock and worry.

In the holocoversation, Darth Insanus seemed unconvinced, "That's a bold claim you're making."

Alvin just smirked and snapped his fingers. From out of view, Runa was pushed into his arms. "Does this convince you," he asked, using his hands to hold Runa's head so Darth Insanus could get a good look.

"A holoimage can be faked," Darth Insanus countered.

Unfazed, Alvin pulled out Runa's lightsaber and activated it, "Does this say otherwise?"

This did the trick, "You have my attention," Darth Insanus replied.

"Bring me fifty million credits, and she's all yours," Alvin offered, a pleased smile on his face.

"Very well," Darth Insanus sighed, "I'll contact you soon, and I'll collect her in person." Once he was finished speaking, the transmission ended.

Once the transmission was over, Hiccup immediately walked towards the door in haste. "Where are you going," Hammond asked.

"Someone has to rescue her," Hiccup responded, barely looking over his shoulder.

"My thoughts exactly," Hammond agreed and walked after him.

As they left, Gobber nudged Stoick, "Reminds me of you when you were that age."

Stoick couldn't help but nod.

* * *

Dagur remained where in place, staring at now inactive holoprojector, the realization slowly dawning on him.

Alvin, a lowly crime lord, had somehow captured Runa.

Memories flashed in his minds, those playful pranks she would pull, the jokes she would make, usually geared towards Hammond, and how her presence affected him.

His reminiscing was interrupted by an officer entering his chambers, "My Lord, Admiral Thrawn and the Inquisitors' shuttle has arrived."

Dagur's helmet distorted his growl, making it sound mechanical. "Fine, let's get this over with."

After a few turns and an elevator ride, Dagur finally arrived at the main hanger. The welcoming committee was already there, dozens of Stormtroopers and officers lined up, forming an aisle for him to walk down, standing at attention. He got to the end of the aisle, where the shuttle was finishing its landing.

Once complete, the shuttle's landing pad lowered, revealing Thrawn followed by Viggo and Ryker walking down the ramp.

"My Lord," Thrawn greeted, giving a slight bow of his head. Viggo did the same, albeit reluctantly, while Ryker just huffed.

Dagur simply nodded his head, holding back his irritation. Silently, he turned around and lead them to his chambers. Once inside, Dagur broke his silence, "so, I assume my Master has informed you of the situation."

"Yes, of your failure to contain this rebellion," Viggo replied.

"Excuse me," Dagur growled like he was ready to take off Viggo's head, "But have you not heard of my victory at Wayland, where we stopped the Rebellion from acquiring Planetary defense codes, or of their failure to get the population of Taris to rise against us?"

"This war cannot be won on the battlefield alone," Thrawn interrupted, "You must eliminate their ability to fight and their leadership."

"Easier said than done," Ryker replied, "But you're forgetting something else; the Jedi."

"I have a solution for that," Dagur told them, pulling up the image of Alvin with Runa, "I just negotiated a deal to get the Jedi Runa Organa from Alvin."

"How is she important," Viggo asked.

"Runa was close to Hiccup and Hammond, they would do anything to save her, and that will be their doom."

"How much will it cost?"

"Fifty million, but I plan on killing Alvin beforehand. Serve as a warning to all other crime lords out there." If it wasn't for the helmet, they could see the psychotic smile on Dagur's face.

"And force other potential allies into the arms of the Rebellion."

Everyone looked to Thrawn, who simply stood there with his arms behind his back. "Excuse me," Dagur asked.

"If you eliminate everyone we negotiate with, you'll drive away other interested parties," Thrawn reasoned, "Pay the crime lord what he asked for, show that the Empire honors its deals."

Dagur was fuming, his hands curled into fists on his sides. If it wasn't for the fact that Thrawn had his Master's favor, he would have killed him right then and there. "Fine, we'll do it your way," Dagur muttered, "Now get out!"

Thrawn bowed his head and left the room to an awaiting officer, probably waiting to show him to his room. Viggo and Ryker remained, "What would have us do My Lord," Viggo asked.

"You'll accompany me to the deal, in case Alvin doesn't plan on playing along."

* * *

Hiccup stood beneath _The Night Fury_ with one of the hatches was open, exposing the components that kept the ship running. He was doing some last minute checkups, to make sure everything was functioning as normal, as the rest of the gang was getting their gear ready.

Somehow, Hiccup knew that the others would come with them. Toothless, Guardian, and BB-12 were automatics, they would never leave their side. It wasn't a shock that Heather was coming, she rarely left Hammond's side, curiously enough. The real shock was when Astrid, the twins, Fishlegs, and Snotlout insisted they come along.

Although come to think of it, it shouldn't have been that much of a shock. Fishlegs was very curious about the Jedi, and another Jedi would satiate his appetite for knowledge further. The twins seem to get the idea that wherever the Jedi went, chaos would ensue, but he didn't know where they got that idea. Snotlout was probably just trying to show off, that he could keep up with the Jedi.

Then there was Astrid.

She was an enigma to him, which made him all the more curious about her. He had heard stories of her devotion to her friends and to the cause, but for some reason all he could sense was anger. And the most curious thing of all, her presence had an effect on him. He could feel his face blush, his heartbeat quicken, and a shortness of breath whenever she was near.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of crashing tools. He looked over to see his father, picking up said tools he accidentally knocked over. It was a small workspace after all.

"D-dad, what a-are you doing h-here," Hiccup stuttered, nearly losing grip of the hydrospanner in his hands.

"I-I just," Stoick began with a similar stutter, his large hands not made for the tools he was picking up, "I just wanted to see my son off."

Son, the very word filled Hiccup with both a sense of happiness and dread. On one hand, to have a father, a family, was something he never thought he would experience. But on the other hand, he had to live up to the family name; Haddock. The very name was inspirational to the people of Berk, filling their heads with visions of glory and victory. A tough legacy to live up to.

But not only that, he was a Jedi. That legacy is already a challenge to live up to one its own, but combine that with his family's legacy, Hiccup was surprised he hadn't collapsed from exhaustion by now.

"Well, thanks, dad."

"Also," Stoick stated, a grave tone in his voice, "I wanted to warn you about Alvin. He may seem like a simple brute, but he's more than that. Be careful."

"I appreciate the warning dad," Hiccup responded, finishing up his work and closing the hatch.

As Hiccup walked to the boarding ramp, Stoick walked alongside him. "Well, I trust you'll get your friend back. I mean, you're a Haddock, and a Jedi, there couldn't be a more perfect combination."

This was meant to lift Hiccup's spirits, but it didn't. If anything, he just felt like there was even more pressure placed on his shoulders. "Thanks for the vote of confidence," Hiccup mumbled.

Stoick patted him on the shoulder, "Go on then. Pretty soon, my flagship is going to be turned into a Jedi Temple."

Hiccup nodded, chuckling at the joke and walked into his ship, ready for the mission ahead.

* * *

The heat of Tatooine had become too familiar to Hammond at this point. He had been to this world a few times before the Purge, and he spent two years in exile here. But even with all that time here, he still wasn't used to the heat.

Judging from the looks of Hiccup and Heather next to him, they weren't fans of the heat either. They had just left the ship, docking in the Mos Eisley Space Port. The settlement was south of Alvin's Palace, so Fishlegs calculated a seventy-six percent chance that they would find someone who had been to the palace here, and they could get some information out of them.

The group had split up, to cover as much ground as possible, and the trio was heading to the Cantina. As they walked in, a sense of Déjà vu came across Heather, remembering how the last time they were here lead them to Hammond, where everything changed.

They took a seat at an open table, the patrons paying them no mind. "So what do we do," Heather asked.

"We listen, someone's bound to talk," Hiccup told her, then closed his eyes.

"How?"

"Clear your mind and reach out with the Force, let it be your ears," Hammond told her.

Deciding to give it a try, Heather closed her eyes and did as he told her. Her hearing felt sharp but overwhelmed by the noise of the cantina. The splashing of drinks, clattering of barstools and feet, casual conversations, and the slipping of a hidden card into a hand from a sleeve.

There had to be something here.

"I can't believe Alvin didn't pay me."

The voice was deep and sounded influenced by alcohol. She turned around and found the source; a bounty hunter with dark hair, brown hair, and blue tattoos on his chin at the bar. She focused on him, listening for anything else.

"What happened," the bartender asked.

"Alvin posted this bounty for a Jedi, about five million credits," the bounty hunter began, taking a sip from his drink, "So when I catch her, he doesn't pay me, saying he's reviewing his finances or something."

"Sounds terrible," the bartender commented.

That was what they needed. Heather was about to stand up, but Hammond put a hand on her shoulder. "What," she asked him incredulously.

"That's a Mandalorian, and he's not alone."

Looking back at the bounty hunter, she realized he was right. His armor was a clear sign of his heritage, and there was a group of men in similar outfits at the tables not far from him.

"Then, what do we do?"

"We get him alone," Hiccup began, "and I have a plan."

"Of course you do," Hammond muttered.

* * *

Eret took another sip of his drink, lamenting his terrible luck. "Why does this always happen," he asked himself. Just when it looked like things would go right for him, life had to change that and make things go wrong.

Just then, his attention was drawn to his right, where Heather walked up to the bar next to him. "So, you're a bounty hunter."

It wasn't a question, it was a statement, one that had Eret reaching for his blaster out of reflex. "I am."

"And a good one, I guess."

"Maybe."

"Well, I would hope so," Heather began, "my boss is looking for a damn good one, and will pay good money for it."

Eret quirked an eyebrow, "how much?"

"Ten million."

Eret nearly stumbled, either from the alcohol or shock. "That's quite the payment, your boss must really hate this person."

"So, you'll take the job," Heather asked, smiling that Hiccup's plan was working.

"Of course," Eret replied, standing up straight.

"Follow me, my boss will give you the details."

Heather led him to one of the private rooms in the back. Once inside, Eret looked for his new employer. "Where's your boss?"

Then he felt a sharp pain at the back of his head, and the world went dark.

* * *

Eret opened his eyes, groaning as he felt his head pounding. He tried to move, but he found his hands cuffed and his weapons removed. When his vision cleared, he could see three figures in front of him. He recognized the woman, but not the other two, both male.

"Who are you?"

One of them stepped forward, taller and thicker than the other, "The Jedi you gave to Alvin, what was her name?"

Eret stared back into the man's blue eyes, noticing the seriousness in them. "Runa Organa, why do you ask?"

"Because she's a very close friend of ours," The man replied, his eyes showing a restrained fury in them.

The other man stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Hammond," he said, getting his attention.

Hammond looked at Hiccup, "what?"

"Getting angry at him isn't going to help Runa," Hiccup pointed out.

Eret looked at them in confusion, "why are you so interested in her," he asked, but the looks on their faces and the lightsaber on Hiccup's belt answered that question for him. "You're all Jedi, aren't you?"

"Obviously," Hammond commented sourly.

Eret sat there, his day just got worse. But, he could make this work for him. "So, you're looking to break her out aren't you?"

Hiccup looked at Eret suspiciously, "why do you ask?"

"Because I could help you."

"And why should we trust you, you captured and handed over a close friend of ours," Hammond asked rhetorically.

"Because Alvin cheated me, and I know his palace pretty well," Eret shrugged.

This caught Hiccup's attention, "what is your offer?"

"You let me free, and I'll get you in the palace and help you rescue your friend."

"And what do you get out of this," Hiccup asked, knowing that this offer wasn't out of the goodness of his heart.

"I get to teach him what happens when you double-cross a Mandalorian. Losing the Jedi he had a bone to pick with will be quite the blow to his pride," Eret answered.

Hiccup brought a hand to his chin in thought. Looking at Hammond, he earned a shrug, showing he was placing his faith in his judgment. Coming to a decision, Hiccup waved his hands and the cuffs on Eret's wrist unlocked, clattering to the floor.

"Deal."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **It's been too long.**

 **Sorry for the lack of updates for the past month or two. Life has been overwhelming, and I'm a month and a half back into school.**

 **So I'll to do my best to work on my stories.**

 **If you like this story, please feel free to follow, favorite, and review, feel free to leave constructive critics in reviews, and I hoped you enjoyed this chapter.**


	13. Chapter 13- From Bad to Worse

Chapter 13- From Bad to Worse

* * *

Hammond didn't like this plan at all, not that it wasn't a good plan, but that it was revolving around Eret's cooperation. The plan was simple, Hiccup, Toothless, Guardian, BB-12, and himself would be disguised as bounty hunters or outlaws and walk right in. Alvin tends to have an open door policy about bounty hunters and contractors, as he always got a cut of any business transaction completed within his walls, a "protection" fee.

He was just finished putting on his disguise, light armor with a tan under undershirt and black pants. There was a blaster pistol holstered on his right hip and a vibro-knife on his left hip.

It felt so strange to not have a lightsaber with him. He felt off without it, like a piece of his soul was missing.

Taking his eyes off of his gear, he looked up to see Heather approaching him. "Are you okay," she asked, sensing his inner distress.

"Yeah, I just haven't felt the same since…"

Heather didn't need to hear the rest; she knew what he was talking about. She placed a finger on his lips, silencing him. "Shhh, don't worry about it, you're stronger than you give yourself credit for."

"You really think that," he asked, his voice quiet.

"I believe it." With that, she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

Hammond stiffened up, caught off guard by the action. The kiss lasted only a second, but it felt like an eternity. He felt a warming sensation come over him, and the pace where her lips made contact with skin felt like it was tingling, even after she withdrew.

There was a moment of silence, both of them were blushing and unsure of what to say. "Uh, w-well I," Hammond stuttered, the words getting caught in his throat.

"Yeah," Heather nodded, surprised by what she did.

"I should go check on Hiccup and Eret," Hammond said quickly, even though he didn't want to leave.

"Good idea, and good luck," she replied, before heading to the cockpit, her face bright red and the happiest grin on her face.

Hammond just stood there, holding a hand to the cheek that had been kissed, a love-struck smile on his face.

Finally, he found the will to move and went looking for Hiccup and Eret, ready to begin.

* * *

Hiccup and the group had rented a speeder and made their approach to Alvin's palace. The gang and Eret's crew were in their ships and awaiting orders for extractions if things went wrong, which they were secretly planning on. Within a few hundred yards, they stopped the speeders and hid them in in a rock formation. From here, they made the rest of the way on foot.

The palace wasn't far, but the heat of the twin suns made it feel like it was on the other side of the planet.

Toothless growled, making his discomfort known to all. "You're not the only one feeling like that bud," Hiccup responded, the disguise and his Berkian heritage making the heat feel worse.

Eret shook his head, ignoring their complaints. He was used to living in extreme climates and had learned to ignore the heat, even in his armor. The gate came into view, and there were two guards posted there. "Almost there," he whispered.

"Are you sure there aren't any other security measures," Hiccup asked warily.

"Absolutely positive," Eret answered, rather arrogantly, "Alvin's a cheapskate, he cuts corners to save money."

"Hold it right there!"

They looked forward to see one of the guards had addressed them. "What's your business here," the other guard asked them.

"Just looking for some work," Eret shrugged, "something wrong with that?"

The guards looked at each other, "we've been ordered not to allow you on the premise."

Eret blinked, this wasn't supposed to happen. The plan was riding on this. "Excuse me, but what do you mean?"

"Alvin doesn't want you here, now leave!"

Hiccup decided to intervene, waving his hand in front of him, "You will let us pass."

Eret looked at him like he was stupid, but what happened next stumped him. "We will let you pass," the guards repeated in a monotone voice.

"You'll forget we were here," Hiccup added.

"And we'll forget you were here," the guards repeated in the same monotone voice as before. One of the guards pushed a button on his gauntlet and the gate behind them began to rise, allowing them in.

"How did you do that," Eret asked once inside and out of earshot of the guards.

Hiccup smirked at him, "the Force can have a strong influence on the weak-minded."

" _Guards' stench was most foul, even hatchling could smell them from miles away,_ " Guardian commented.

"Agreed," Hammond replied.

The stopped in front of a terminal, checking up and down the halls for any other guards. Once it was clear, BB-12 rolled up to the terminal and linked to it, shifting through codes of information to find what they needed.

And he found it!

He beeped in excitement, looking up to Hammond. "He says he found the security control room," Hammond translated.

"Does he know where Runa is," Hiccup asked.

BB-12 continued looking through information, but he gave off a disappointed beep. "BB-12 says that information is restricted, but we might be able to access it in the security control room," Hammond told them.

"It's a start," Eret muttered.

Hiccup sighed, "Alright, we'll continue on as planned. Hammond, you and BB-12 get to that control room. We'll await your signal."

Hammond nodded and walked away from the group with BB-12 following him.

"You sure he can do this," Eret asked, unsure of this plan.

Hiccup turned around and looked at Eret straight in the eye, "They'll be fine, you should worry about yourself."

"What, you don't trust me?"

"It's not me you'll have to worry about, it's Runa you should worry about," Hiccup offered in advice. He then led them to Alvin's throne room, with Eret pondering the meaning of Hiccup's warning.

* * *

Hammond crept through the halls, his Force Cloak ability making him completely invisible. BB-12 was still visible, but the guards just dismissed him as another droid, nothing to concern themselves with.

Alvin really was a cheapskate to hire help this dumb.

However, just meters away from the security control room, a large group walked down the hall. There was no way to get around them. Hammond could feel his heart pounding. If he was discovered, the plan was ruined.

Fortunately, BB-12 found a door and opened it, beeping at Hammond to come in. Moving quickly, he bolted inside and pressed himself against the wall, his Force Cloak still hiding him.

But they didn't go unnoticed as the door opened again and a lone guard walked in. Hammond thanked the Force that all the guard to see was BB-12. "What are you doing in here," the guard asked BB-12.

BB-12 beeped at him, making up a lie that he was just a maintenance droid. And the guard bought it, "Well get back to work or you'll be turned into scrap!"

With guard gone, Hammond breathed a sigh of relief and dropped his cloak, becoming visible again. He took a look at his surroundings and realized he was in a trophy room, the heads of numerous beast and weapons from fallen foes decorated the room.

Among them, he saw Runa's lightsaber sitting on a stand, a sign of his arrogance. He walked up to it, checking for any security measures that were in place. Finding none, he picked it up off the stand, Alvin wasn't going to need this anymore.

As he was about to walk out, he sensed something calling out to him. At first, he was going to dismiss it, just his nerves getting to him, but then he felt again, even stronger this time.

Turning around, he saw another lightsaber on a display stand. The hilt was longer, indicating it was a double saber. He picked it up and activated it, causing two brilliant blue blades to erupt from both ends. Taking the hilt in both hands, he swung around and spun the blade, getting the use to the feel of a quarterstaff in his hands again.

He also felt affected by the blade, like he and the blade were one, were meant to be together.

He was taken out of his daze by BB-12's beeping, wondering if he was okay. "Yeah, I'm fine BB-12, let's get back to the mission."

Putting his new lightsaber on his belt with Runa's, they left the room and walked down the hall where the security control room was. Upon entering the room, they found only one guard there at the control console.

He went into a low crouch, staying quiet as possible. Once he got close, he placed his hands over the man's mouth and nose and squeezed. Within minutes, despite some struggling, the man slipped unconscious. He then moved him out of the chair and took his place.

BB-12 moved to a terminal, beeping once he had full access. Hammond turned on his communicator, "We're in."

* * *

In Alvin's throne room, Hiccup and Eret heard Hammond's remark through their earpieces. "What kind of security are we looking at," Hiccup asked discreetly.

"A couple of cameras and sensors, but only in key areas like the prison and power generators, unbelievable," Hammond replied, muttering the last part under his breath.

"Can take them down?"

There was silence at the other end of the comm, but Hiccup could hear the faint clicking of buttons and BB-12 chirping. "All systems are down, that was easy."

"We're not out of the woods yet mate," Eret responded.

"Right, time for stage two."

"Toothless, Guardian, you're up," Hiccup spoke into the comm, waiting for the next part of the plan to take effect.

Toothless began walking through the crowd, searching for Guardian, who was talking with some local hunters. Once he set eyes on him, he shifted directions and walked up to him. He walked up to him and turned the Trandoshan around, then roaring and punching him in the face.

Everyone's attention was caught by this scuffle, and none of them were surprised. Trandoshans and Wookies had been mortal enemies for thousands of years. In the grand scheme of things, this was minor but still enjoyable. Alvin even stopped guards from breaking up the fight, and some of his guests starting taking bets on who would win.

The distraction was working perfectly.

Eret and Hiccup slipped away in the chaos, completely unnoticed by the crowd. "Where do we go next," Hiccup asked Hammond through the comm.

"Take the fourth door on you right, then take the first left, and the detention center is at the end of the hall," he answered.

"Got it, any idea on the security?"

"At least a dozen guards in the detention center itself, you might be in for a fight."

"Any alarms," Eret asked this time.

"Already disabled, but that won't make a difference if you make too much noise."

"We'll try to be quiet," Hiccup assured him.

"Famous last words," Hammond muttered, barely audible at their end.

Hiccup grumbled, but ignored him and continued walking. They followed his directions and found the detention center. Hiccup looked back at Eret, who have him a nod that he was ready, then opened the door.

Only to be greeted by half a dozen guards.

The men raised their blasters and pointed them at the two. "What are you two doing here," one of them, probably their leader, asked in a harsh tone.

"We were looking for our boss. He left us in the main room and told us to wait, but it's been almost an hour. Have you seen him," Hiccup lied, hoping they would buy it.

"The only people we've seen are prisoners, and you're about to join them." The leader waved his hand, and the group began to approach them.

Hiccup's heart started to beat harder, time for plan B. "Come now, there's no need for this," he told them as he raised a hand in front of him. He wasn't a fan of mind tricks, but they were necessary in a time like this.

Unfortunately, they didn't work on all of them this time. "What, you think you're some kind of Jedi," the leader taunted, proving it hadn't worked on him.

Eret realized this was going to end badly for them if they didn't act. In an instant, he pulled out one of his blasters and fired, hitting the leader in the chest, then pulled out his other one and shot another guard.

The remaining guards took cover as Eret continued firing at them. "What are you doing," Hiccup yelled at him.

"What they would have done to us in a minute since your solution obviously wasn't working," Eret responded, hitting another guard in the chest.

Hiccup didn't have time to respond as guards began to rush down the hallway lined with cells. Realizing Eret was right, he pulled out his lightsaber and deflected the shots coming at him, some even hitting another guard.

Eret continued to fire at the guards in the room they were in, striking another in the head, leaving only two left cowering behind a console. Quickly activating his jetpack, he flew above and over the console so he was behind them, then fired two shots, one for each of them, killing them instantly.

Eret looked over to see if Hiccup needed any help, only to see that he was finishing up. He ducked under the swing of one guard with a vibro-sword and brought the blade across his chest, then stabbing another guard in the chest. The remaining guards continued firing, this time with fear in their eyes, but Hiccup deflected their shots with ease. He then thrust his hand forward and sent them flying from a force push, knocking them out when they hit the walls behind them.

"Well, they probably know we're here now," Hiccup stated, "we need to find Runa now."

Eret ran over to the control console, typing as fast as he could. "Cell A-1138, right down the hall on the left," Eret told him.

Nodding, Hiccup ran down the hall to the door with the matching Eret gave him. He picked up a keycard on one of the fallen guards and pushed it into the door's lock, opening it. Stepping inside, he saw Runa, still cuffed and gagged, sleeping on the bare bed her cell contained.

Runa's eyes started to open, her rest disturbed by Hiccup's arrival. When her eyes caught sight of him, they widened in shock and disbelief. She tried to say his name, but it came out as a mumble because of the gag.

Hiccup wasted no time in setting her free, using his lightsaber to carefully cut the cuffs off. Once they were off, Runa took the gag off immediately, "H-hiccup," she whispered, her voice weak from lack of use. She didn't even give him a chance to answer, she just threw her arms around him in a hug and squeezed, "you're alive."

Hiccup returned the hug, to alleviate the disbelief he heard in her voice. "Last time I checked I am," he joked, earning a chuckle out of her.

Unfortunately, once they parted ways, Runa caught sight of Eret, who was standing in the hall. Anger filled her as she shot her hand forward, causing Eret to fly into the wall behind him. Groaning, Eret looked up just in time to see Runa's foot hit his head, knocking his helmet off, followed by an immediate punch to the jaw.

Before she could punch him again, Hiccup wrapped his arms around her and pulled her away from him. "I'm going to kill you," she threatened, her arms and legs flailing around as he tried to get him.

"Runa, he's with us," he told her, trying to soothe her anger.

"What?!"

"He's helping us rescue you!"

Runa stared back at Hiccup, completely perplexed by that statement. But there was one other thing that stood out, "what do you mean us?"

Hiccup sighed in relief, she was starting to calm down. "Toothless, Guardian, and Hammond are with us, we came to rescue you," he told her.

"Hammond's alive too," Runa asked in shock.

"Yeah, but you three can catch up later," Eret told them, rubbing his sore jaw as he stood up.

Hiccup activated his communicator, "Hammond we found Runa, are you-," but he was interrupted by the sound of blaster fire and a lightsaber deflecting these shots.

"I think they know we're here," Hammond responded, "get to the main hanger, I'll meet up with you on the way there."

The communicator began to emit static, a sign that Hammond had turned his off. "Well, you heard him," Hiccup stated.

Eret then pulled Runa's lightsaber off his belt, "You might need this," he said as he handed it to her.

Runa eyed him warily but accepted it. "Where's the other one," she asked.

"Hammond might have found it, based on what we heard," Hiccup reasoned.

"Then we need to leave, now," Eret told them, realizing that reinforcements could be here any minute.

"It's not going to be easy," Hiccup replied.

"When is it Hiccup," Runa joked.

"If she can handle her lightsaber as well as she punches, we'll be fine," Eret commented, catching both of them off guard. It almost sounded like a compliment.

"Then, let's go."

Taking Hiccup's suggestion to heart, the three of them ran out of the detention center. Once outside, several guards emerged from the hall they came from. Before they could respond, the guards' attention was diverted by a roar to their left. Several bolts of heavy laser fire struck them, then a black mass of fur tackled one of the guards into the wall. It was Toothless, and he wasn't happy.

The remaining guards, terrified by the sight of an angry Wookie, turned to run but were shot down by precise shots, killing them instantly. Guardian emerged from the hall, his rifle's barrel still smoking. " _Never turn back on prey or hunter_ ," he commented, Toothless roaring in agreement.

"Toothless, Guardian, I never thought I would be so happy to see you two," Runa said as she ran up to them. Toothless responded by wrapping his long arms and squeezing her, forcing a squeak out as he squeezed the air out of her lungs.

"Toothless, we just saved her, can you not suffocate her so soon," Hiccup chided. Toothless decided to let go, Runa taking deep breaths to catch her breath.

"I forgot you never bathed," Runa commented, earning an offended roar from Toothless.

Then the sound of laser fire was heard from down the hallway. When they looked, they saw Hammond running out of a door, his new doublesaber activated in his hand and blaster bolts flying past him. BB-12 emerged from the same door, screeching the whole way to the group.

"There you guys are," Hammond greeted with before turning around, over a dozen guards coming out with blasters in hand.

Hiccup and Runa stood next to him, their lightsabers in hands. "Where did you get that doublesaber," Runa asked.

"The same place I found this," he responded with her other lightsaber in his free hand.

Runa grabbed it and activated it, ready to engage the guards. However, the guards stood there, like they were waiting for something. This something revealed itself to be Alvin, who appeared behind them with Savage and a group of guards.

"Well, what do we have here," he asked sarcastically.

"A rancor's mother," Runa answered with a smirk.

Alvin growled, "Not the answer I had in mind, what do you think Savage?"

"I think you have two more Jedi to give to Darth Insanus," Savage replied with a smile.

"And triple the payout," Alvin added.

"Not happening," Hiccup told them, holding his lightsaber in a defensive guard.

"Take them," Alvin ordered, pulling out a blaster pistol. His men immediately opened fired at the group, forcing Eret, Toothless, BB-12, and Guardian to take cover along the walls of the hallway. The trio of Jedi stood their ground back-to-back, deflecting and redirecting any shot that came their way.

"We can't stay here," Hammond pointed out, getting used to his doublesaber.

"No kidding," Runa replied, just barely ducking from a stray blaster bolt.

Hiccup looked back and forth, trying to find an opening. "We need to break them up and make a run for it."

Hearing this, Eret pulled out a smoke grenade and threw it into Alvin's group. The smoke enveloped them, making it impossible to see. Then he launched the missile from his jet pack and it hit the center of the other group, killing a few and making an opening. "There's your opportunity," he yelled.

The rest of the group didn't have time to think and made a break for it, running past the remaining guards as they were standing back up. Alvin emerged from the smoke that covered his group, collapsing onto a knee in a coughing fit. "Stop…them," he ordered between coughs.

The group continued running, occasionally deflecting a bolt back or firing a shot off as they ran. "So, who is Darth Insanus," Runa asked, feeling the need to catch up on what happened in the greater galaxy.

Knowing that Runa would let this go, Hiccup decided to answer, "It's Dagur, he betrayed us."

"What," Runa practically screamed out.

"It's a long story, we'll explain once we're safe with the Rebel Alliance," Hammond added in.

Runa couldn't form words for a moment, this was becoming too much for her. "The Rebel Alliance?"

"Yeah, they're the major opposition against the Empire, and they're lead by my parents," Hiccup clarified.

"You met your parents," Runa asked, slightly breathless. Hiccup nodded, and Eret swore she saw something akin to jealousy in her eyes. "Is there anything else I should be aware of, any other galaxy changing news out there?"

"I have a Padawan," Hammond answered.

Runa's eyes were as wide as dinner plates, "Seriously?"

"Yeah," Hammond said, too focused on what was ahead of him to be embarrassed. They turned a corner that led them to the main hanger, but it was heavily guarded. They came under fire the moment the guards caught sight of them.

"So, you really have a Padawan," Runa asked like they weren't fighting for their lives.

"Yes," Hammond answered, sidestepping to avoid a blaster bolt.

Runa hummed, almost like she was in thought. "You know, I never really took you for the one-on-one teaching type," she stated.

Hammond looked at her for a brief moment, "Oh really?"

"Yeah, I always took you for the lecturing type," she told him with a smirk.

"Why am I not surprised," Hammond sighed, deflecting another shot with his doublesaber.

"You don't seem to happy to see me again."

"I'll be happy to see you when we don't have people shooting at us!"

Eret shot a guard in the chest, the looked at the two bickering Jedi. "Can you two save it for later?"

"Trust me, these battlefield spats are common," Hiccup commented just as eh redirected a shot into one of the remaining guards. Toothless charged his bowcaster, then fired once fully charged. The shot hit the ground at the feet of the guards, but the shot exploded, sending them all flying back.

The group ran into the hanger, BB-12 immediately closing the door and locking it from the terminal next to it. Hammond flowed up on this by welding the door shut with his lightsaber, melting the cracks where it opened and sealing it shut.

"Well, that takes care of that," Hammond stated, breathing a sigh of relief.

After catching his breath, Hiccup opened his comm, "We're at the main hanger, ready for pickup."

"We're on our way," Astrid responded from her end, "Wait, there's an Imperial shuttle making its approach. It's coming in for a landing!"

"It never ends, does it," Runa asked, sarcasm laced in her voice.

"Not for us anyway," Hammond added in. Toothless gave out a grunt in agreement.

The Landa-class shuttle entered the hanger, hovering to allow its wings to fold up before settling down for a landing. Hiccup, Hammond, and Runa could sense Dagur on board, and he wasn't alone.

The boarding ramp lowered, allowing its occupants to unload. Dagur, Viggo, and Ryker emerged from the ship and began walking towards them.

"Well, well, well, look at what the nexu cat dragged in," Dagur announced as he approached. Amusement could be heard in his voice, despite the helmet distorting it.

"Traitor," Runa hissed, her hands balled up into fists at her sides.

Dagur turned his head to look at her. "Runa, so glad to see you again," he greeted with mock courtesy.

Runa simply glared at him, her look a warning that his days were numbered.

"Still the same as ever," Dagur chuckled, "and look at this, it's a big happy reunion. Makes me want to puke."

Hiccup looked at Runa and Hammond in the corner of his eyes. "This isn't a reunion, Dagur. We were just leaving."

"I'm afraid you're not going anywhere."

Viggo rolled his eyes, unimpressed by Lord Insanus's attempts to intimidate the Jedi and their companions, which wasn't working. He was more interested in the Mandalorian standing behind the Jedi. They were known as some of the best mercenaries for hire. Perhaps this could be an advantage.

"Mandalorian," he called out, gaining Eret's attention. "Your people have been friends of the Sith for thousands of years, and you have been rewarded for it. We planned on paying Alvin fifty million for Runa, but if you join us, we would be willing to pay triple that amount."

Silence overtook the group, most of them stunned by Viggo's offer to Eret. Except for Dagur, who glaring daggers at Viggo for usurping him. Eret thought about it, a hundred and fifty credits was more money than he could have imagined. But there was something shifty about this man he didn't trust.

He looked at the others, Hiccup and Hammond were giving him blank stares waiting for his next move. Runa was glaring at him, almost expecting him to betray them.

"Sorry mate, but I gave them my word, and Mandalorians never break their word."

Hiccup and Hammond were stunned for a moment, letting out a breath they didn't realize they were holding. Toothless and Guardian relaxed, previously prepared for a betrayal. Runa was shocked, her mouth slightly agape.

He wasn't as despicable as she thought he was.

"Very well, then you will die," Dagur growled, pressing a button on his gauntlet. Suddenly, two ships appeared out of nowhere in front of the hanger's doors. These ships were standard Imperial troop transports, but they were modified with stealth field generators and were darker in coloration.

The transports landed and lowered their boarding ramps, allowing the troops on board to disembark. But these troops were different, their build was similar to that of a common Berkian. The armor was also different; it was a deep gray with purple highlights. The officers had a shoulder pad a strange insignia on it; it was a dragon with two wings, covered in spikes, and surrounded by lightning. They carried either T-21 heavy blasters or DLT-19 heavy repeating blasters and had a mix of vibro-weapons, either swords or axes.

The troops assembled in front of their shuttles, numbering a total of thirty men. "You didn't think I wasn't ready for this, did you Hiccup," Dagur asked mockingly.

"To be honest, I'm a little surprised you were smart enough to bring friends."

Dagur attempted to ignore Hiccup's response, but it didn't take a Force Sensitive to feel his anger. Somehow, he managed to quell his anger for the moment and continued to brag. "Meet the Deathtroopers, my own personal unit of elite Stormtroopers picked from the greatest warriors of my home system; the Berserk System."

"Who picked that ridiculous name for a system," Runa muttered.

"Men, kill the Mandalorian and the aliens. The Jedi are ours," Dagur ordered, pulling out his lightsaber and activating it.

Almost immediately and in perfect sync, the deathtroopers aim and fired their weapons. Eret, Toothless, Guardian, and BB-12 were forced to separate from the Jedi under a slew of blaster bolts. Ducking and dodging the shots, they found cover behind empty supply crates less than five meters from where they were once standing.

Once there, Eret pulled his EE-3 off of his back, realizing his blaster pistols wouldn't be as effective in this situation. Taking aim at one trooper, he pulled the trigger and three blaster bolts shot out in a short burst. The bolts hit the trooper in the chest, killing him. He pulled the trigger again, hitting another one in the shoulder but not killing him.

Meanwhile, Viggo and Ryker activated their lightsabers, Viggo only activating one blade while Ryker activated both. The trio began walking towards the Jedi, every step becoming quicker and quicker, eventually turning into a run.

Hiccup, Hammond, and Runa also pulled out and activated their lightsabers, rushing towards the Sith Lord and the Inquisitors with equal speed. The groups classed in the middle, breaking into three individual duels.

Hiccup blacked Dagur's aggressive swing, deflecting the blows instead of taking them head on. He swept for his legs with his lightsaber, but Dagur jumped over it and countered with a thrust, but Hiccup deflected this as well. There were no more words to be spoken with each other, just anger.

Hammond, on the other hand, was trying to keep his composer. He had used anything like a quarterstaff in years, and adapting to a doublesaber was even harder. It wasn't helped by Viggo acting like he wasn't even trying, keeping one arm behind his back while blocking Hammond's clumsy attacks.

During a blade lock, Viggo leaned in, "If you're passing on these skills to your Padawan, she is doomed to failure."

Hammond tried to ignore the taunt, knowing Viggo was trying to get under his skin. He then pushed Viggo off of him, using the momentum to spin and strike with one blade of his saber staff. Once the blade clashed with Viggo's, he continued pushing the blade away and followed up with the second blade, going for Viggo's exposed chest.

But Viggo realized what Hammond was going for and stepped back, the tip of the lightsaber scrapping his chest armor, leaving a burn on it, but the skin beneath was unharmed.

"Do you ever shut up," Hammond asked, preparing for the next attack.

Meanwhile, Runa was dodging Ryker's attacks, then attempting a counter attack. Unfortunately, Ryker activated his spinning blades, keeping her at bay. "Those are the stupidest things I've ever seen," she muttered in frustration.

She jumped up and went for an overhead attack, one which Ryker blocked head on. He then kicked her in the stomach, forcing her onto a knee, out of breath.

Ryker brought his blade up, ready to bring it down on her neck. However, Hammond noticed this and threw his doublesaber towards Ryker. The blade bounced off of Viggo's knocking it away from Runa.

Taking advantage of this, Runa jumped up and delivered a roundhouse kick to his chest, then pushed him back with the Force, sending him flying into a pile of scrap.

Picking up her lightsabers that had fallen out of her hands, she charged towards Dagur, only to be met with a barrage of Force Lightning, sending her flying back into several empty crates.

But Dagur got his dues when Hiccup sent him flying back from a Force Push, causing him to land clear on the other side of the hanger.

As he was standing up, Eret's crew and Astrid arrived. Dagur recognized Eret's ship as a D-5 Mantis, it's bulky hold was surrounded by the three arms with the heavy blaster cannons on the end. And Hiccup's ship, _The Night Fury_ , was recognizable to him anywhere.

Eret's ship was firing at the transports, causing the deathtroopers to spread out to avoid the blaster fire. Four of them broke off to investigate Runa's still body that had landed near them. The moment they arrived, Runa's eyes shot open. She jumped up, activating her lightsabers on the way up and spun around, decapitating them. Seemingly unfazed, she stood up and focused her attention on the remaining deathtroopers, backing and redirecting their shots.

Eret's eyes were wide was dinner plates beneath his helmet, he was really glad she was on their side.

Inside the cockpit of _The Night Fury_ , Astrid watched the carnage unfold outside. "We leave them alone for an hour and they're already in trouble."

"Trouble just follows us everywhere," Heather added in, earning a nod from Astrid.

They didn't have time to focus on their luck, they grabbed their weapons and lowered the boarding ramp. Once they set foot outside, they were under immediate fire from the deathtroopers.

But that was nothing compared to Dagur's focus look, particularly towards Heather.

Dagur began to calmly walk towards them, a move Hiccup and Hammond saw. They began to run towards him, but Viggo and Ryker blocked them, using their spinning blades to create a wall.

"Leave these Rebels to me, kill the Jedi," Dagur order into his communicator. Without question, the Deathtroopers ceased firing and focused on the others.

Astrid was suspicious of why they stopped firing, but that was answered when she saw Dagur walking towards them. Putting her blaster pistol away, knowing it would be useless, she pulled out her axe and faced Dagur, ready to engage him.

The others did so as well, pulling out their own vibro-weapons, but not with the same level of fearlessness. They ended up forming a wall between him and Heather, knowing why he was there.

"Stand aside," he stated once he was within a few meters of them.

"You don't scare us," Astrid responded, although the look on Fishlegs's face told them he begged to differ.

"Then you will die braver than most."

Astrid charged and swung her axe at his head, but he blocked it with two hands. Pushing her away, he sent a bolt of Force Lightning towards Snotlout. The bolt hit Snotlout and sent him back, unconscious. After blocking another attack from Astrid, he pushed the twins and Fishlegs back with the Force. Then, he picked up a crate and sent it towards Astrid. The crate hit her side, knocking her over and away from them.

Now it was only Heather and Dagur.

Heather, who had stood there frozen previously, finally regained her senses. It had gone by too fast for her to register. Stepping towards her, Dagur spoke up, "Finally, it's been too long since we last met."

"Yes, it has," she responded, then immediately attacked Dagur, angered by what he had just done to her friends.

Dagur brought his lightsaber up and blocked the attack, "We don't have to fight."

"Yes we do," she retorted, then kicked him in the stomach.

Dagur stepped back, but only for a moment before counter attacking. He attacked with quick but powerful strikes, knocking her axe staff out of her hands. Delivering a kick to the chest, causing her to fall onto her back.

She looked up, expecting him to bring his arm up for the killing blow. To her surprise, he deactivated her lightsaber and grabbed a datapad from his belt. "The blood test gave us some interesting insight about your family."

"Yeah, they weren't my actual blood, I know," she yelled out, trying to ignore the pain.

"I was talking about your birth family," he responded.

"You're wasting your time, they're already dead."

"Not all of them."

Heather's breath formed a lump in her throat. "What," she asked breathlessly.

"You have a brother," he told her, keeping the most important bit of information to himself, savoring of the anticipation.

Heather pushed off her arms to almost a sitting position, "I…I do," she stuttered, "Then, where is he, do you have him, did you kill him?"

"No, I am your brother."

* * *

 **Author's Note: Dun dun dun, da dun dun, da dun dun, dun dun dun, da dun dun, da...dun dun.**

 **And that was my attempt at writing the slow Imperial March that played during the Darth Vader reveal in Empire Strikes Back. If you don't know what I'm talking about, why are you here?**

 **Anyway, this is the only cliffhanger that was intentional. Enjoy.**

 **If you like this story, please feel free to follow, favorite, and review (Seriously, reviews help me write more), feel free to leave constructive critics in reviews, and I hoped you enjoyed this chapter.**


	14. Chapter 14- Knowledge is Power

Chapter 14- Knowledge is Power

* * *

Heather's body went still, going numb as the shock overtook her.

No.

That couldn't be true.

She couldn't be related to this monster.

"No," she whispered. "You're lying, you have to be!"

Dagur stood there, unnerved by her denial. "Search your feelings, you know it's true."

And she did, and the more the more she did, the she started to accept it.

"Come with me, little sister. I can finish your training. I can help you become more powerful than you ever imagined!"

Heather looked up, then down at the ground in shame. Unable to bring herself to look at her brother - her worst enemy since she joined the rebellion.

"Come with me," he repeated.

While this was happening, Hammond, Hiccup, Viggo, and Ryker had stopped fighting and watched this happen, stunned by this revelation. Shaking off his shock, Hammond force pushed Ryker away from him, knocking him into the crates that were directly behind him.

"Hammond, wait," Hiccup called out, but this didn't register to Hammond. He was already in a full sprint, heading towards the Sith Lord and his sister. Hiccup tried to join, but Viggo got in his way, his lightsaber now had only one blade active.

Heather looked back up to see Dagur extending a hand to her, an invitation. But before she could even react, he was jerked back, pulled by an invisible force.

Rolling over his back and onto his feet in a crouch, he searched for the soon-to-be dead man responsible for that. He got his answer when Hammond attacked with his double saber, only just missing after he stepped out of the way of the blue blade. He pulled out his own lightsaber and blocked Hammond's next attack, then countered with his own.

"Get out of my way," Dagur growled, "My sister's destiny lies with me."

"No," Hammond replied before immediately attacking with a thrust, then brought the second end of his double saber in a sweep towards Dagur's feet, but he dodged both of these attacks.

As the gang picked themselves back up, still reeling from Dagur's attack and revelation, Heather stood up and ran into the ship, not wanting to face the others, and wanting to be alone with her thoughts.

Meanwhile, Eret and Runa forced the remaining deathtroopers, about ten of them, into a corner, giving Toothless, Guardian, and BB-12 time to get to the ship. But this didn't slow them down. If anything, the deathtroopers were fighting back even harder. "I think it's time we get out of here," Eret told Runa.

Runa quirked an eyebrow, "I thought Mandalorians don't retreat."

"We don't, we fight while running the opposite direction," he responded.

"Same thing," she snapped, before making a beeline to the ship.

Runa ran on Eret's right, putting herself between him and the deathtroopers, to deflect any blaster bolts that came near them.

While this was happening, Hiccup ducked beneath a horizontal slash, then stepped out of the way of an overhead slash. He reacted with a stab, but Viggo deflected it and countered, starting a blade lock.

Viggo leaned in, using his height to push Hiccup back. Hiccup responded by planting his metal foot down, becoming near unmovable. Realizing this, Viggo pushed him back and slashed at where he was, only to strike at the floor when he rolled away.

Viggo pulled his saber back and went for an overhead attack, but Hiccup stepped out of the way and kicked him in the side with his metal foot, cracking several ribs.

Steeping back, Viggo clutched his side with one arm, keeping his other arm with his lightsaber ready for a follow up. However, Hiccup Force pushed him back. Viggo hit the wall with a thud and fell to the ground face first, unconscious from the impact.

Back at the ship, Eret and Runa had finally arrived, just as Toothless and Guardian were helping the gang to their feet. "Is everyone okay?" Runa asked.

"We're fine," Astrid replied, shaking Toothless paw off of her arm.

Runa sighed, knowing the woman had to be Berkian, no one else was that stubborn to refuse help. Just then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Dagur knock Hammond to the ground.

Hammond posted one arm on the ground, keeping his doublesaber up in the other hand. Dagur just kept attacking, over, and over, and over again, attempting to knock his weapon aside. Finally, he did, then followed up by kicking Hammond in the face, flattening him.

Dagur brought his blade up, ready to deal the deathblow. Before he could, Runa jumped into action, clearing the space between them and the ship in one leap. Activating her lightsabers mid-jump, she intercepted Dagur's lightsaber before it could hit Hammond.

Dagur looked up, greeted by Runa's furious gaze. "You know, you could come with my sister and I," he offered, unexpectedly.

"How about 'no,'" she responded, then pushed his lightsaber away and began her offensive, striking quick but powerful blows.

Dagur started to backpedal, caught off guard by her aggression. He had forgotten how Runa liked to fight.

He ducked away from a kick, but Runa followed up with an upper cut with the lightsaber in her left arm. She caught him in the helmet, striking a deep, diagonal cut in it. Not enough to hit flesh, but it made the helmet useless.

She was about to strike a killing blow, but Dagur released a stream of force lightning out of sheer panic, striking her in the chest and sending her flying back to Hammond. It wasn't as powerful as last time, but it did the trick.

Hammond was just starting to sit back up, a hand on the spot where Dagur's boot hit him. He could feel blood just beneath his hand. He sat up just in time to see Runa land next to him, traces of lightning still arcing off of her body.

Runa groaned, still conscious but in pain. "Dagur's a cheater," she muttered.

"You do leave your guard open too much," Hammond added.

Runa glared at him, but the sound of metal hitting the ground interrupted whatever her response would be. They looked back at Dagur to see that he had removed his helmet, revealing his furious expression.

Just as he took a step towards them, a crate flew in and struck Dagur's right side. He turned in the direction it came from to see another one flying at him. As soon as it got close, he cut it in half with his lightsaber.

Looking in the direction it came from, he saw Hiccup, standing there, his lightsaber at his hip and hands by his sides. Dagur smiled, holding his lightsaber up with both hands, ready for Hiccup to attack him.

But Hiccup wasn't playing by Dagur's rules. Not today.

He pulled his hand back and thrust it forward. The Force wave he created slammed Dagur back against the wall, pinning him against it with continuous energy. Dagur mustered all of his strength, both physical and in the Force, and began to resist, freeing his arms, and yelling in the process.

Hiccup then brought both hands back and did it again. This time, the wave of telekinetic energy sent towards Dagur was visible, a blue wave flying towards him. It hit the wall with a bang, shattering the wall and causing rubble to fall where Dagur was.

When the dust settled, Dagur had been buried under the rubble.

With Dagur gone, Hiccup placed his hands on his knees and bent over, panting. That had taken more out of him than he had expected.

Looking up, he saw Hammond and Runa had gotten back to their feet, both with a look of shock and disbelief on their face.

All of a sudden, blaster bolts flew past them. The deathtroopers had regrouped, and they were enraged by the fall of their leader.

"Hiccup, we need to leave now," Hammond told him.

"Not going to argue with that." The moment the words left Hiccup's mouth, he began to run towards the ship with Hammond and Runa, mustering all the energy he could. The Deathtroopers continued to fire, but they were running low on energy and ammunition. They made every shot count, only to be deflected by a lightsaber.

Finally, they made it to the ship. Astrid and Eret stayed on the ground, firing back at the deathtroopers, to cover their companions as they ran up the ramp. Only then did Astrid follow Eret up the ramp

Hiccup ran to the cockpit, taking the pilot's seat and beginning the launch sequence in the same moment. Toothless was in the copilot's seat, the ship powered up and ready to go. Astrid arrived, but was shocked to see both seats already taking. Letting out an irritated huff, she sat in the navigator's seat behind the Hiccup's chair, programming the coordinates into the hyper drive.

 _The Night Fury_ rose, the deathtroopers still opening fire the whole time. Their shots left blackened spots on the hull, but did no damage. Unfazed, _The Night Fury's_ engines roared to life and propelled the ship forward in the orange-red sky, disappearing from view.

Among those who watched the ship escape was Ryker, groaning as he stood up. He looked to where his brother had fallen, only to see him doing the same, clutching to his side.

The brothers watched as several deathtroopers ran to the rubble Dagur was buried under, digging through it in the hopes of finding their leader still alive. Suddenly, a boulder flew off of the pile, revealing a wounded Dagur.

He was a complete mess, his armor all but destroyed, blood and dust coating his skin. He crawled forward on one arm, his other limbs unusable due to his injuries. His eyes were filled with pure hatred, the only thing keeping him alive. He looked towards the skyline, towards where _The Night Fury_ had vanished, then passed out.

"We need a medical transport here right now," the leader of the deathtroopers, indicated by his orange shoulder pad, yelled into his comm.

"Medevac is on the way, hold tight."

After shaking off the shock, Viggo activated his comm. "Thrawn, can you intercept the rebels before they escape?"

"They already have, Grand Inquisitor," Thrawn responded, his voice as cool and unaffected as ever.

* * *

The blue glow of hyperspace washed Hiccup over with a feeling of relief. They had done it. They had gotten away. Standing up, he headed for the main hold, his thoughts racing over everything that had transpired.

But once he walked into the main hold, those issues were pushed into the back of his mind for the moment. "Is everyone okay?" he asked, looking over the gang.

"We're fine," Fishlegs answered, groaning as he straightened up.

"We almost died," Tuffnut muttered.

"Yeah," Ruffnut agreed. "Let's do it again!"

Snotlout smacked his forehead. "Idiots."

"Quite the crew you've got here," Runa commented, finally drawing attention to herself. "You sure know how to pick them."

"I picked you, didn't I?" Hammond countered. Which earned an eyeroll from Runa, but not an argument. "And they found me first. Then we found Hiccup."

"Figures, you always have to check up on us," she teased, crossing her arms with an amused grin.

"That didn't take long," he sighed, remembering all the times he had been the target of her mischievous nature.

Eret took off his helmet, breathing fresh air and wiping the sweat off of his face. "Well, that went well."

Hammond snapped his attention to Eret, "Your definition of 'well' doesn't fill me with confidence."

"We all got out, didn't we?" Eret pointed out.

Hammond held his hand up, ready to counter him, but he didn't have one. "He's got a point," Hiccup agreed, reluctantly.

"Since when are you on his side?" Hammond asked.

"Good question," Runa added, glaring at Hiccup.

Hiccup chuckled, a little nervously under Runa's glare. "Oh, that reminds me. There's something we need to do," He blurted in haste, trying to change subjects. He had just realized Eret hadn't met anyone else on the ship outside of Heather, Guardian, BB-12, and Toothless. "Eret, this is Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut," he began, pointing to everyone as he listed them. "Everyone, this is-"

"I'm Eret," he interrupted, "Son of Eret, of clan Eret."

"A Mandalorian," Fishlegs whispered, suddenly nervous.

"Great, just what we need on this ship, another Snotlout," Astrid muttered. She was already annoyed with Eret's obvious ego.

"Hmm, not quite what I was expecting from a Mandalorian," Tuffnut said to Ruffnut.

"No he isn't."

Tuffnut was caught off guard. Not by what she said, but how she said it. It sounded flirty. He looked over to see his sister staring at the Mandalorian, practically drooling. She looked over every inch of him as if he was a piece of meat. Tuffnut gagged.

"And this is Runa Organa," Hiccup continued, now gesturing to Runa standing next to him.

"Uh, hi," she acknowledged, with a small wave. Suddenly shy now that she was in the spotlight.

"Organa", for some reason that name stuck out to Fishlegs. He mulled his brain, trying to find out why it sounded so familiar. Then it hit him, "Wait. Organa as in the ruling class of Alderaan?"

"Yes, that Organa," Runa nodded.

Eret mentally kicked himself. How had he not realized that? "So, does that make you a…?"

"A princess, yes, technically speaking."

"Well, princess," Snotlout started, draping an arm over her shoulders, "With me around, you won't have to worry about any more bounty hunters. I'll keep you safe."

'Three…two…one,' Hammond thought to himself, watching Runa turn her head to glare at Snotlout.

His prediction was right on point. Runa jammed her elbow in Snotlout's gut, knocking the wind out of him and causing him to stumble back. Spinning on her right foot, she slammed her left heel across Snotlout's jaw in a perfect roundhouse kick. The impact spun him around before he fell onto his back.

Hiccup knelt next to his cousin, supporting his head with his hand. "Was that necessary?" he asked, looking up at Runa.

"Yes."

Hammond leaned down next to her ear: "You just kicked Hiccup's cousin."

Runa's eyes widened, filled with shock. "That's his cousin!"

"I'm beginning to like her already," Astrid told Ruffnut, but it barely registered. She was too busy ogling Eret.

Hiccup helped Snotlout sit up and apply an icepack to his sore and bruised jaw. Snotlout reached into his mouth, pulling out a tooth that had been knocked out by the force of Runa's kick. "A tooth!"

Hammond shook his head, pinching his the bridge of his nose. As the others started asking the newcomers questions, Hammond finally noticed they were missing one person: Heather. She hadn't been seen since she boarded the ship. Given what they had all just learned, now was not the time for her to be alone.

Leaving the main room, he followed the waves of her emotions, the shock and confusion, coming from; the cargo hold. Opening the door, he saw her sitting against one of the walls, resting her head against her knees, arms wrapped around them.

He walked over to her and sat down right next to her. She need him at the moment, he didn't need the Force to see that. "How are you doing?" he asked.

Heather peaked at him, but buried her face back into her knees instantly. "I'm fine," she replied, her voice muffled,

An obvious lie, Hammond knew she was putting up a show. "Heather, now's not the time for keeping up appearances," he told her, calm and gentle as possible but maintaining a firm and assertive tone. He saw his words register, but she didn't respond. "It's about Dagur, and what he said, isn't it?"

Finally, Heather brought her face out of her knees. She nodded, her mind still reeling over the news. "I can't believe it."

"Yeah, I know," he admitted. The idea of Heather and Dagur being brother and sister was still a shocker, one he didn't want to believe. But the more he thought about it, the more he got a nagging feeling in the back of his mind, saying it was true.

"I always wanted to know what happened to the rest of my birth family, if any of them were still alive," she began, her voice a hoarse whisper, "But now…" She couldn't finish her sentence and she buried her face in her knees again.

Not wanting her to retreat back into her shell, Hammond wrapped an arm around her shoulder and brought her close. "It's okay, I'm right here," he whispered, trying to calm her.

Lifting her head, she looked up at Hammond, surprised by the sudden contact. But his embrace had a calming effect on her, and she found herself leaning into it. "Is that my future? Am I going to become like him?"

"No, you're a far better person than Dagur ever was."

Heather felt her heart skip when he said that. Why did he affect her like this?

"What about the others? How will the rest of the Rebellion react to this?" she asked, her mind in a panic over this.

Hammond gently cupped her cheek and forced her to look at him in the eyes, "It'll be okay. You've proven yourself to the Rebellion time and time again. As for our friends, you've grown up with them, they all care about you." He became suddenly nervous. "I care about you," he admitted.

"You do?" she asked breathlessly.

"Yes, I do," he confessed, the hand on her cheek moving to her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

Heather felt a wave of joy wash over her, a smile tentative smile pulling at the corners of her lips, and she found herself leaning towards him. Hammond did the same, nervous, but didn't pull back. Their lips met in the middle, and the two felt sparks when they made contact, producing a hum from Heather's throat.

Hammond tilted his head, allowing his lips to form perfectly against hers. They were soft, softer than he imagined. His mind had gone blank, any doubts flushed from his mind. The Jedi Code could go to oblivion for all he cared.

After a minute, Hammond was the one to end the kiss. He pulled away from her slowly, but she followed his lips for a moment. They were were breathless, staring into each other's eyes. "Wow," Hammond whispered.

"Yeah, wow," Heather agreed.

"We uh, should probably get back to the others," Hammond stuttered, reluctant to let her go.

Heather nodded, "You're right," then followed his lead and stood up. Just as she did, Astrid walked into the room with Runa following her in. "There you are."

Heather found it difficult to look Astrid in the eye, she wasn't sure how she would react

to what they just learned. "Astrid, I-"

But Astrid interrupted her, "If this is about your brother, don't worry about it."

Heather's eyes snapped open to look at Astrid, "What?"

Astrid stepped forward, placing a hand on Heather's shoulder, "Heather, you've grown up with all of us. We've took you in when you had no on else. It's going to take more than your Sith Lord brother to destroy all of that."

Heather was silent a moment, letting her words sink in. "Thanks Astrid," Heather said before wrapping Astrid in a quick hug, one that Astrid returned.

Meanwhile, Runa was watching this encounter, observing Heather and how she acted. When she and Astrid parted ways, Heather looked in Runa's direction. "So, you're Hammond's Padawan." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Uh, yes," Heather answered, feeling nervous under Runa's gaze.

"Astrid told me all about you, I guess you're not too bad."

Heather looked back at Hammond, "Is that a good thing?"

"Runa's hard to make a good first impression on, but that answer is a good sign," he answered her.

"Oh, well thank you," Heather turned back to Runa, relieved that it wasn't as bad as she thought.

"And I have to admit, I thought a Padawan of Hammond would be more of a book worm, and less of a no nonsense fighter then you," Runa added with a smirk, looking at Hammond behind Heather.

"Thanks Runa, I appreciate your analysis," Hammond responded sarcastically.

Runa chuckled, "You've been hanging out with Hiccup too much."

"What," Hammond asked in confusion.

"You get really sarcastic when you're around Hiccup for long periods of time."

Hammond just sighed, smiling. "You know; life has been dull without you to brighten up the day. I missed you," He said to her, then walked up and enveloped her in a quick hug.

Runa returned the hug. "And don't you forget it," she joked. "But in all seriousness, I missed you guys too." Once they separated, she looked at Astrid and Heather standing to the side, "Uh, do you girls have any spare clothes?" she asked, gesturing to her dirty and torn outfit.

"I have something you can borrow," Heather answered.

"Thanks, I'll need to use the refresher too. I haven't had a real shower in almost a year."

"You might want to use it before her," Hammond advised with a smile, "She can take just as long to get done."

Runa responded by reaching up and flicking his ear.

* * *

Thrawn stood on one side of an observation window, looking into the medical bay, at the bacta tank Dagur floated in. He had been stripped of nearly all of his clothes, allowing the bacta to do its work.

His body was covered in bruises and deep cuts, not an inch of skin unscathed. Several of his bones were broken as well, and there was some internal bleeding. But against all odds, the medical droids believed he would recover.

Thrawn knew why, Dagur was drawing on the Force to survive. He had heard the stories of Jedi and Sith suffering mortal injures and falling into deep Force-induced comas and making a miraculous recovery.

In this day and age, few things could surprise him.

But Heather, a well-known Rebel and traitor to the Empire, that was something that did surprise him.

Stepping away from the window, he walked down the hall to his left in the direction of Viggo's room. Viggo had sustained two cracked ribs, but he would recover quickly according to the staff. As he approached, Ryker walked out and was already staring in his direction. No doubt he sensed him coming.

"Can I help you, First Brother?" Thrawn asked, maintaining his cool composure.

"You can help me by walking the other direction, my brother isn't receiving visitors," Ryker growled, pushing him back with his pointer finger.

Thrawn stepped back as he pushed, unfazed by the brutish attempt to intimidate him. "You're protective of your brother, I can respect that."

"And you better remember that."

Thrawn nodded, "I didn't realize Sith were so protective of one another," he commented in a matter-of-fact tone.

"We're not Sith," he countered.

"Ah yes, that's right, training in the Dark Side does not make you Sith."

Ryker was getting irritated, "What do you know of being Sith?"

"That the galaxy has long believed anyone with a red saber is a sith," Thrawn pointed out, "But they're wrong; Sith is a belief."

Ryker narrowed his eyes in suspicion, "How do you know this?"

"I do a lot of reading, as you already know," Thrawn answered. "And I have learned that the Sith's main strength is knowledge. Knowledge is power."

"What do you mean?"

"The Sith hoard knowledge, keep it to themselves, it gives them an edge over their rivals," he said, pacing in front of Ryker. "But it goes both ways, and the Sith understand this. Those who know of their secretive existence meet an untimely end, or they're rewarded."

"And you were rewarded," Ryker concluded.

"The Emperor and I go a ways back, far before he became Chancellor."

"How?"

"That is knowledge only I will possess, you should worry more about Lord Insanus."

"Why?" Ryker was getting visibly irritated by now.

"How long did Lord Insanus keep this knowledge a secret to us? How long did he hold power over us?"

Ryker remained silent.

"You of all people should understand how valuable knowledge can be, and how lethal withholding it can be." With that said, Thrawn walked away, leaving Ryker alone with his thoughts.

* * *

Hiccup walked down the boarding ramp of _The Night Fury_ , having just landed moments ago. Looking to his right, he watched as Eret's ship came in for a landing. He was glad they were able to get here, there was a worry they hadn't gotten the coordinates Astrid sent them. Once they cleared up that they were with them, the ship was allowed to land.

"Hiccup," he heard his father's voice call him. It didn't take long for him to find him, walking across the hanger with his mother right behind him. "Good to see that you've returned son," Stoick told him, pride emulating in his voice and giving him a hard pat on the back.

Valka was more gentle, giving him a quick hug, "We're so glad to see you. Were you successful?"  
"Yes, in more ways than one," Hiccup told them, gesturing to Eret walking up beside him.

Stoick sized him up, his expression going wary when he registered Eret's Mandalorian armor. "Well, this is unexpected."

Eret gave Stoick a quick bow, "My name is Eret, son of Eret, of Clan Eret."

"And that's your clan," Valka asked, referring to the men leaving Eret's ship, her tone full of distrust.

"No, that's my crew, they're not Mandalorians," he answered.

Valka relaxed, glad they didn't have a whole clan of killers with them. Berkians and Mandalorians had a tendency to never get along. "What of the Jedi, where is she?"

"She was getting cleaned up," Hiccup answered. Just then, Snotlout walked by, nursing his swollen jaw.

"You encounter any problems," Stoick asked upon seeing Snotlout's jaw.

Hiccup chuckled nervously, "No uh, that was Runa."

Stoick stroked his beard and hummed in approval, he hadn't met this Jedi yet and he was already starting to like her. As if on cue, Runa finally appeared, freshly dressed and cleaned up, her hair now shining with a brilliant glow and pulled back in a braid. She wore a long sleeve green shirt, black pants, with brown leather gloves and boots.

She walked up to Stoick and Valka, feeling quite small next to them. "You're Runa," Stoick asked, trying to look friendly.

"Yes, Runa Organa," she answered.

"Welcome to the Rebel Alliance," Valka offered.

"Thank you."

Suddenly, they heard alarms going off, coming from the direction of _The Night Fury_. Smoke was coming out of the underside. Hiccup ran over to it and found Toothless working on the hatch where the most of the smoke came from. "What's going on?"

Toothless growled and grunted at him, gesturing to the ship wildly. Suddenly, another puff of smoke shot out, engulfing Toothless who screamed at the ship. "What's wrong," Runa asked when she got to him.

"The port stabilizer is fried, wiring got loosened when that Star Destroyer fired at us and that made a spark," Hiccup answered, pinching his the bridge of his nose.

"Don't worry son, we'll get some mechanics to work on it," Stoick told him.

Hiccup looked up, a slight smile on his face. "Thanks Dad."

Hiccup and his parents walked away, leaving the ship in the care of Toothless and the mechanics that had come over to help. Runa walked over to Hammond, who was speaking with one of Eret's crew. When he saw Runa approach, Hammond ended the conversation and made his way to her. "Still hard to believe this is all real," he commented.

"Yeah, it is," she agreed. "So, I've been thinking."

Worry formed across Hammond's face, "That's never a good sign."

"How did Stoick and Valka, who both look like Berkians, end up creating Hiccup?"

Hammond face palmed, "Runa."

"It's a legitimate question."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Sorry about the cliffhanger and lack of updates, life got busy.**

 **And just to let everyone know, the OC request is closed.**

 **If you like this story, please feel free to follow, favorite, and review (Seriously, reviews help me write more), feel free to leave constructive critics in reviews, and I hoped you enjoyed this chapter.**


	15. Chapter 15- A Difficult Position

Chapter 15- A Difficult Position

* * *

Hiccup pulled up from a dive, his proton torpedoes hitting the Star Destroyer's command bridge. He looked behind him to see his squad of X-Wings do the same. Each and every one of their torpedoes hit their target, tearing the command bridge and the hull around it to pieces. With the bridge destroyed, the Star Destroyer was dead in space. Hiccup caught a glimpse of his father's ship, bearing down on another Star Destroyer, the debris of its frigate escort floating all around them.

It had been over a month since Runa's rescue. Since then, the Rebel's spies within the Empire had discovered a secret space station that was still under construction. Once finished, the station would be able to eavesdrop on various holofrequencies. Perfect for intercepting the Rebel Alliance's communication line until a counter was found. Rumors had it that the station would be equipped with a stealth field generator, rendering it completely invisible.

It had to be destroyed, here and now.

And with the fleet guarding the station destroyed, the time to attack was now.

But it wouldn't be easy. The station was hidden is a cluster of nebulas, hiding it from radar detection.

"All groups, form up on the fleet. It's time to make our advance," Stoick's voice echoed across the comm.

Hiccup pulled his control stick back and maneuvered to his position, his squad forming up behind him. "Black squadron reporting in," he stated into the comm.

"Purple squadron here," he recognized that as Hammond's voice.

"Grey squadron ready," Heather's voice called out.

"Blue squadron is ready for action," Astrid, determined as ever, responded.

Hiccup tuned out the other voices from the remaining wings and looked ahead, the station in sight. It shared the shape of other space stations, but it was unfinished. As the station got closer, the nebulas basking the station in various hues, a feeling stirred within Hiccup's gut, a bad one. Something wasn't right here. This battle was easy.

Too easy.

Suddenly, alarms started going off in his cockpit. "What's going on," Snotlout asked.

"The sensors are detecting something massive coming this way," Gobber responded.

"Is it the nebulas," Hammond asked.

The alarms began to sound off quicker and quicker. "That's impossible Hammond," Fishlegs answered, "The odds of these nebulas reacting is less than twenty-six percent."

"And the Empire wouldn't build out here if the nebulas were unstable," Heather added.

"It's not from the nebulas," Gobber corrected, "Something is coming out of hyperspace."

At that moment, the fleet was blocked by a massive ship emerging from hyperspace, putting itself between the fleet and the station. It was shaped like a standard Star Destroyer, the dagger-like shape cutting through space silently, but it was far bigger.

"What is that," Snotlout screamed.

"It looks like a Star Destroyer, but much bigger," Heather commented.

"A Super Star Destroyer," Tuffnut added.

"Focus up, we have more ships emerging from hyperspace," Stoick told them.

As soon as the words left his mouth four Star Destroyers and their escorts; two Victory Class Star Destroyers, two Acclamators, four Tartan Cruisers, and four broadside cruisers, dropped out of hyperspace on each side of the fleet except for the front, where the Super Star Destroyer was deployed.

"We're surrounded on all sides!"

"They've got us boxed in!"

"It's a trap!"

* * *

Aboard the Super Star Destroyers Command Bridge, Thrawn watched his fleet surround the rebels. They had fallen into his trap. He heard footsteps behind him, "So, your plan worked," Viggo's voice reached his ears, now standing next to him.

"Yes, it has," he agreed. Then, he turned around and faced one of the officers on the bridge, "Give word to the fleet, tighten up the formation and begin the attack." The officer nodded and carried out his orders. Thrawn then looked down into one of the pits on the side of the central walkway, "Divert power to the port turbo lasers and deploy all fighters."

"Yes Grand Admiral," the officer replied.

Looking back out the viewport, green bursts of lights starting emanating from his left side. Green streaks of energy shot out and towards the Rebel fleet, the blinking of lights indicated TIE Fighters were carrying out their orders. The rest of the Imperial fleet did the same, their cannons firing at the fleet and fighters rushing out to engage. Within minutes, chaos broke out in the fleet, and the orange bursts of light indicated the destruction of ships.

"Drawing the Rebel Fleet here was no easy task," Viggo commented, "How did you accomplish this?"

"The Rebellion trusts their spies too much, desperate for anything that might give them an edge. It was far too easy to allow information on this station to reach their hands. The rest was up to them."

"Seems a bit risky allowing our secrets to fall into enemy hands," Viggo pointed out.

"If you don't take risks, how can victory be achieved?"

Viggo nodded, "Of course."

* * *

Another ship crumbled, its hull ripped apart by torpedoes and cannon fire. Hiccup watched this as he flew by, pursuing a pair of TIE fighters. This was going badly. The fleet would be destroyed unless they could escape. But the Imperials had the surrounded on all sides.

But then, Hiccup spotted a weak spot. On the right flank in the far back corner, there was an open space. The Star Destroyers hadn't closed it up yet.

"Chief, we're being torn to shreds here! What do we do," a panicked voice screamed across the comm.

"We need to get out of here, to find a weakness in their defenses," his father responded.

"I found it, the rear of our right flank," Hiccup called out, "If we attack now, we can break through."

After a moment of silence, probably contemplating this idea. Finally, Stoick responded, "Very well, Hiccup you lead the attack. Clear a hole for our ships to pass through."

Hiccup took a deep breath, all eyes on him. "Will do, all wings form up on me," he announced, turning towards their new target. All the fighter wings followed, with only a few reserves stay behind to guard the capital ships against TIE Bombers. A few cruisers and corvettes joined them, knowing that the escorts of said Star Destroyers would pose a challenge.

Making their approach, the Star Destroyers and their escorts opened fire. The Rebels broke their formation and attacked, fighters swarming the escort frigates as the cruisers stayed back and provided cover fire, focusing on the smaller ships that posed a great threat to the fighters.

Spinning past a barrage of laser fire from a tartan cruiser, Hiccup made a run for a one of the Victory Class Star Destroyer's bridge, incapacitating it with a pair of proton torpedoes and laser fire. He felt his ship shake as the shockwave passed through him, then his alarms went off.

"We've got fighters coming this way," he warned, " _Star Runner_ , move to our left flank to intercept."

"Copy that," the Corellian Corvette in question moved, its laser cannons firing as TIEs came into range.

"Blue wing, gray wing, move to support them," Hiccup added.

"Roger that," Heather and Astrid responded simultaneously.

Their squads moved into position, intercepting the squads of TIE Fighters coming towards them. The two sides opened fire, several TIEs getting hit and exploding. In the midst of this chaos, two fighters broke off and pursued Jorya Sparx.

Streaks of green flew past her cockpit. "I could use some help here," she called out, "These guys are on me closer than my ex."

"I'm on it, cover me, Heather," Astrid responded.

"I've got you covered." Heather moved in, opening fire on three TIEs who were aiming for Astrid's exposed belly as she swerved away. One was hit and spiraled out of control before exploding, forcing the other two to break off.

Astrid pursued the fighters who were chasing Jorya, ready to open fire. Unfortunately, a Tartan Cruiser's canons were tracking them. They fired towards them in rapid succession, several bolts hitting Jorya's X-Wing.

"I've lost my starboard engine!"

The panic was clear in her voice, Astrid needed to hurry. "Just hold on," Astrid told her as she opened fire, destroying one of the TIE Fighters. Before she could target the other one, it shot several bolts at Jorya, hitting her directly. Her fighter caught fire then exploded, her screams going silent.

Astrid sat there for a moment in stunned silence. For the first time, she had failed.

Meanwhile, Hiccup was protecting the Y-Wings making their run towards the last escort frigate left; an Acclamator. "Watch the crossfire Gold Leader."

"Roger that Black Leader."

The bombers continued moving forward, heading straight for the frigate. The frigate's turbo lasers opened fire, but the slow shots and long delays between shots made them easy to avoid. Finally, they unleashed their payload onto the ship, hitting its port side and working up to the bridge. The bridge exploded, pieces of debris flying in all directions. Then, the whole ship began to lean towards the Star Destroyer it was protecting below it, momentum pushing it forward.

"Hiccup," Hammond called out, "when that ship crashes in it-"

"It'll explode," Hiccup finished. "All units clear the area!"

The Rebel fighters cleared out and the cruisers turned to leave. The Acclamator hit the Star Destroyer at the base of the bridge, its front end driving into the hull. Once it hit the main reactor, the ship exploded, cutting itself in half and destroying the Acclamator in the process. Debris scattered across the nearby area, striking other ships and causing the catastrophic failure of a few of them.

All while making a hole for the fleet to escape.

"Chief Stoick, we've broken through the Imperial lines. We need to leave now," Hiccup said into the comm.

"Roger that son. All ships, make for the hole they made! We need to get out of here!"

The battered and bruised rebel fleet turned, making a beeline for the exit. During the turn one of the Mon Calamari Cruisers guarding _The Skullcrusher's_ right flank had its engine exposed. Its arrowhead based design protected its engines normally, but this tight turn caused it to lean. A Star Destroyer and its escort took advantage of this and opened fire, focusing on the engines.

The ship rattled as every shot made its mark. Finally, the engines on its port side exploded, bring it to a grinding halt. The Empire continued to fire, hitting the weak points in the hull that were starting to show. After several volleys, explosions started ripping through the hull. The spread out and down the ship, causing a wing of the ship to break off. The ship was dead in space.

"We've lost _The Ocean's Light_! I repeat, _The Ocean's Light_ is done!"

Stoick sighed, a hand covering his eyes. That ship and its crew were valuable. Any loss to the Rebellion was a big one. They needed to get out of here fast. "Divert all power to shields and engines! We're getting torn apart here," he ordered, technicians at the consoles carrying out his orders immediately. Their turbo lasers and cannons powered down and their speed increased, the ships around them doing the same.

But not all of them. On their right flank, the other Mon Calamari Cruiser that shared _The Skullcrusher's_ design, albeit bulkier and shorter, was having a hard time keeping up. On top of that, TIE Fighters and Bombers were swarming the ship. " _Sea Gazer,_ you're falling behind. Divert power to your engines," Valka called out to them.

"No good, we've got a reactor leak," The Mon Calamari captain on board responded.

From across the comm, Valka could hear the alarms going off on the ship's bridge. "Sir, we've lost our bridge deflector shield," another officer told the captain.

"Intensify the forward batteries, I don't want anything coming through."

The results were clear as more TIEs started getting shot down. One whole wing of bombers was destroyed, except for their leader. He took damage and began careening towards the bridge, barely controlling his ship.

"Intensify forward firepower!"

"Too late!"

A roar was heard over the comm, then static. Valka looked out the viewport to see _The Sea Gazer's_ bridge had been destroyed, a lone bomber had crashed into it. The ship was all but gone.

Turning away, Valka looked to see that they were clearing the Imperial lines, they were free from that deathtrap. "All ships make the jump to hyperspace," Stocked ordered, his voice quieter than usual.

The stars became a blur as they made the jump, safe at last.

* * *

Thrawn watched the fleet get away in silence. "Grand Admiral, the Rebels have escaped," an officer informed him.

Thrawn looked back out the viewport, seeing the wreck of the Rebel fleet. "Not all of them," he pointed out coldly.

Turning around, he walked off the bridge with Viggo following him. "I must say, I'm impressed. Your plan worked."

Thrawn looked at Viggo, "Yes, this was a great victory for the Empire today."

"The Rebellion won't be able to mount another attack like this for some time."  
"Yes, and they will seek new allies and resources to compensate for their losses," Thrawn added.

"So it seems we'll need to destroy the Rebellion as soon as possible."

"I couldn't agree more," Thrawn said as they walked into his office. His office had the usual, different art pieces, tomes, and artifacts from different cultures. The standout was a board on Thrawn's desk with various pieces on it, each looking like a Berkian warrior. Thrawn noticed Viggo looking at it, "Ever heard of Maces and Talons?"

"Heard of it, I used to play it with my grandfather all the time," Viggo answered, "I used to think he was beating me because he was better."

"Used to," Thrawn asked as he took a seat at his desk.

"I finally learned that there are two ways to be fooled; one is to believe what isn't true, the other is to refuse to believe what is," he told him as he took his seat, ready to play.

* * *

What remained of the Rebel Fleet had escaped and was at one of their rendezvous points; the abandoned asteroid mining station. The mood on the bridge was solemn. The news about their losses continued to rolling, dampening the mood with every word. The opening of the bridge door caught their attention and they watched as Hiccup and what remained of the fighter squad leaders walked in.

"Hiccup," Stoick said to him as he walked up to him.

"Dad," Hiccup acknowledged.

Nodding, the two of them stood around the holotable, the others doing the same. "What do we have left," Stoick asked, cutting straight to the chase.

Gobber looked the numbers, "We have _The Skullcrusher_ , two Nebulon B-Frigates, one Assault Frigate, three Marauder Cruisers, four Corellian corvettes, and one Corellian Gunship."

Stoick nodded, "Hiccup, what out our fighters? How many do we have left?"

Hiccup looked down at the table, unable to meet his father's gaze. "Only half of what we started with." From across the room, Runa could see the sorrow in his eyes. Hiccup always took failure harshly.

Stoick stroked his beard, contemplating their next move. "We have to find a suitable place for a base," he spoke up, gaining the attention from everyone on the bridge. "We can't all be caught in one place, not after a battle like that."

"If we focus all out attention on finding a base, we'll be blind to what the Empire has planned next," Spitelout countered.

"With what, we're at a third of our strength right now," Gobber pointed out.

"Then we need to replenish our strength," Valka proposed, "If we find a powerful ally, they can help us."

"How do we know we can trust them?"

"We never should have done this!"

The bridge broke down into chaos, everyone was arguing with someone, and the noise made it impossible to discern specific words.

Watching all of this unfold, Runa couldn't help but feel dumbfounded by the sight in front of her. "This is madness," she muttered.

Hammond, who was standing next to her, turned his head in her direction, "this is politics."

Eret was standing not far away from this with his crew, leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. "To think these are the same people who repelled invasion after invasion for thousands of years," he whispered to himself.

Suddenly, a beeping noise erupted from one of the consoles, getting Stoick's attention. Walking away from Mildew, who had to throw his opinion in, he approached the officer working it. " _We're getting a long range message, but it's not Imperial or one of ours,_ " the Rodian told him in huttese.

"Get the scrambler ready, I don't want anyone tracing this call," he told the officer. He was curious about this call. Who would call them at a time like this? Walking to the holotable, he looked around to see people still arguing. "ENOUGH," he yelled, silencing the room. It was so silent that a pin could be heard hitting the floor. "We're receiving a communication."

Pushing a button on the table, a human figure appeared. He was middle aged with well-kept blonde hair and blue eyes. His clothes were elegant, suggesting a life of luxury. "Chief Haddock," the figure greeted with a respectful bow, "it's been some time."

"Senator Tomas Orion," Stoick spoke up in surprised, "How long has it been?"

"At least ten years my old friend," Tomas answered with a smile, "I remember when you were invited to that trade meeting, and started that brawl."

Stoick scratched the back of his head, Valka giving him a judgmental look. "Yes, I remember that. I also remember you almost breaking my nose with that hook of yours," he joked.

Tomas flushed with embracement, "I panicked, I never meant to hit you."

Stoick waved it off, "Ah, it's alright, I honestly haven't taken a hit like that in years, not since I first meant Gobber."

"You started it Stoick," Gobber accused, like a child.

"Gobber, not now," Stoick hissed.

Valka sighed, having had enough of this childish behavior, then smacked both of them in the back of the head. "Enough you two, can you please act like adults for five minutes?"

"Right, sorry," Stoick muttered, looking away in embarrassment.

"So, not much has changed it seems," Tomas joked.

"Well, that's not entirely true," Stoick responded, gesturing to his son next to him with pride.

As Hiccup stepped into view, Tomas's eyes light up with amazement and recognition. "By the stars," he whispered.

"Senator Tomas Orion," Stoick began formally, "this is my son and heir; Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III."

"This is your son, incredible," Tomas muttered, "It's good to meet you again Hiccup."

"Good to see you again Senator," Hiccup responded, feeling awkward being the center of attention.

"Indeed," Tomas nodded, "Now, onto why I came here. I understand your Rebellion is in a rough state."

Stoick narrowed his eyes, "How do you know?"

"The Empire has been broadcasting your defeat for hours, it's on every holofrequency," Tomas informed them.

Stoick sighed, "It's true, the Empire ambushed us. We've lost half of our strength."

"I want to help."

Stoick snapped his head to look at Tomas, "What?"

"I want to help," Tomas repeated, "Believe it or not, your Rebellion has caused a stir in the Imperial Senate. Several senators, myself included, are sympathetic to your cause and would be willing to support you if you can make contact with them."

"Can you help us with that," Valka asked.

"In any means necessary, the time to act is now," Tomas answered.

"Where and when can we meet you," Stoick asked.

"Felucia, the Empire has no presence there. But, I would advise sending only a few of you there, just in case."

"My son will meet you, along with Astrid as an escort."

Hiccup and Astrid looked at Stoick in disbelief, "What," they asked at the same time.

"Sounds like a good plan," Tomas agreed.

"Hold on a moment," Spitelout barked, "Doesn't this seem a little too convenient."

"What are you getting on about," Gobber asked.

"We lose half of our fleet in a single battle, and then this senator just comes rushing to our aid," Spitelout pointed out. The others on the bridge began to talk amongst themselves, he brought up a good point.

"Spitelout," Tomas began, "I understand your skepticism, so I'll prove my sincerity to you by sharing information that the Emperor himself is invested in."

The entire bridge went quiet, leaning in with interest. "What is it," Stoick motioned for him to go on.

"The Emperor has been ordering extensive excavation of all Jedi Ruins in the galaxy, the Jedi Temple on Coruscant has been picked clean."

"How does this help us?"

"If the Emperor himself is involved, he has a reason for it. He never takes a serious interest in the affairs of the Empire."

Stoick nodded, "Continue."

"More recently, an Imperial excavation team on Jedha believe they found something."

"Jedha," Hammond spluttered out.

"What is it Hammond," Hiccup asked.

"Jedha is one of the worlds theorized to be the origin of the Jedi Order. There are dozens of ruins dotting the moon's surface, and it's a hotspot for pilgrims who believe in the Force."

"And an Imperial archeological expedition is investigating one of the largest ruins there, and they believe something is there."

"What's there," Hiccup asked, leaning in closer.

"They don't know yet, but they found evidence that something is hidden there. And if I know the Jedi as well as I think I do, they won't find it unless they can use the Force," Tomas added.

"Stoick," Hammond spoke up, "With your permission, I would like to take Heather and follow this lead."

"Granted," Stoick nodded. "While you do that, Hiccup and Astrid will meet with Tomas. Any objections," he asked. The bridge was silent; all were in agreement that they had no choice.

"It's settled then," Tomas smiled, "I'll meet with you in forty-eight hours Hiccup, see you soon."

* * *

Viggo's eyes wandered the board in front of him, then back up to Thrawn's face, searching for a tall that would reveal the next move. But his face was stone cold, impossible to read. They had been playing for hours, neither of them close to securing a victory. Finally, Viggo moved a piece, the Traitor.

"So, you play the Traitor now," Thrawn commented, moving one of his pieces to eliminate the traitor.

Silently, Viggo moved another piece towards where Thrawn's counter to the traitor came from. Thrawn then moved a piece to Viggo's flank, left unprotected by this move. "Another draw?"

"Indeed," Thrawn agreed, "Clever move with the traitor piece. Had it not been so obvious, it might have done some damage."

"The traitors always die in the end; they make mistakes that lead to their demise."

Thrawn smiled, "I couldn't agree more."

Just as he finished speaking, an officer walked in with a datapad. "Grand Admiral, I have the list of all the Rebel spies as you requested," he said to him as he walked over, giving him the list.

Thrawn looked over the list, feeling satisfied with its contents. "Very good, continue with the operation, eliminate them all."

"Yes sir," the officer replied before walking out.

Viggo stood up from his chair, "Well, it seems you have work to do. I should be contacting the Emperor, see what he wants me to do."

"Just a moment, Grand Inquisitor," Thrawn called out. Viggo turned around, waiting for Thrawn to speak. "I try to keep myself out of the affairs of the Sith but, do you know what the Emperor has done with Lord Insanus."

Viggo stayed silent, knowing what Thrawn was referring to. Less than a week after the encounter on Tatooine, The Emperor had taken Dagur and moved him somewhere else to recover. "I do not know the specifics, but I believe the Emperor was displeased by the Medical Droids lack of progress with his apprentice's recovery. He has taken charge of it," he informed him.

"I see," Thrawn nodded, stroking his chin in thought.

"Why do you ask?"

"Lord Insanus is a loose cannon, more likely to ruin an operation then ensures its success. I simply feel more comfortable knowing where he is," Thrawn answered, pacing in front of his desk.

"Perhaps the Emperor does not want anyone to know until the time is right," Viggo theorized, sharing Thrawn's opinion.

"Perhaps, or perhaps he is already dead and the Emperor is keeping it a secret," Thrawn added. "Such a loss would devastate the morale of our troops."

"Maybe," Viggo nodded, then turned around, leaving the Admiral to his planning.

* * *

Drago stared through the glass window, a cold and dark operating room behind it. He saw his apprentice lying on the table, surrounded by droids, doctors, and engineers working on him. Here he had been for the past three weeks, recovering in bacta baths to heal his damaged skin and having cybernetics planted in the weaker parts of his body.

During this, Dagur was semiconscious in a state of pain. But the pain made him angry, gave him focus, and his focus was Hiccup.

He was going to find him.

He was going to take everything from him.

And then he was going to kill him.

The engineers were finishing his new armor, tuning the new upgrades and adjustments placed into it. It was more heavily armored with plates made of Cortsosis sewn into it, a substance that could repel even a lightsaber to an extent. His armor now had a breathing regulator, pumping filtered air in and out of his weakened lungs until they were fully healed.

The final adjustments were made and his helmet was placed on his head. The head engineer walked to the side of the table and began to test his control box on his chest. After a click, the system began to hum, powering up.

Khooooooooh...Khaaaaaaaah

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **And so, Dagur makes his slow transition into Darth Vader, just less awesome.**

 **And yes, the "Khooooooooh...Khaaaaaaaah" is my attempt at writing his breathing sounds.**

 **Anyway, sorry for the absence, school and life got in the way.**

 **We now proceed into act two of this story.**

 **If you like this story, please feel free to follow, favorite, and review (Seriously, reviews help me write more), feel free to leave constructive critics in reviews, and I hoped you enjoyed this chapter.**


	16. Chapter 16- The Next Step

Chapter 16- The Next Step

* * *

Tomas sat his desk, looking over several reports on datapads and on the holoprojector in his desk. He was due to leave and meet with Hiccup in just a few hours, but there was still work to be done. Meetings with other senators to postpone, requests from the people of his homeworld, and queries from Imperial Representatives to finish. The work of a senator never ended.

The sound of the door opening snapped him out his focus. He looked up to see his daughter walk in the door. She had the same blonde hair and eyes that her father had, although her facial features were softer compared to his sharp facial features. She stood at five foot, seven inches with an athletic build. Her clothes were more casual than her father's more formal attire.

"Jazmyn," Tomas acknowledged.

"Father," she responded, "What are you doing?"

"Finishing up a few things before I leave," he answered, looking back at the report in front of him. He thought that would be the end of it, but she was still there. "What is it?"

"I was wondering why I can't go to this meeting, you've taken me to all your other ones," she answered, crossing her arms across her chest.

He froze for a moment, thinking about his response. For the past five years, he had always taken her on his meetings with him. Jazmyn wanted to become a senator, much like her father, and help people. So he took her to most of his meetings to learn all that she could. But this one was different. "Because this meeting has to be secret, and I don't want you getting hurt," he answered her, vaguely.

"But I-,"

"I'm sorry Jazmyn, but not this time," he told her, standing up and walking around his desk. "Sometimes, you need to things you may not like to do for the greater good."

Jazmyn nodded, and Tomas kissed her forehead. "Now, shouldn't you be heading to your lessons?"

She looked up to her father, "Your right, I should."

Tomas activated his comm, "Lieutenant Grenn, I need you up here really quick."

After a few moments, Grenn walked in, "Something I can help you with Senator?"

"I need you to escort my daughter to her lessons, then report back to me and prepare for departure."

"Of course Senator," Grenn nodded, then walked out the door with Jazmyn walking beside her.

"Is it true there's been a rise in crime," Jazmyn asked him.

"Unfortunately yes, not much the authorities have been able to do about it."

"Probably because the Empire has taken them to fight the Rebellion," Jazmyn growled.

"Or because they got rid of the ones who know what they were doing," Grenn added. Just as they approached one of the hallway's clear doors. Pushing a button on the wall, the door began to open, but got stuck after opening only a few inches. "Damn this thing," he growled, trying to push the jammed door open.

"This door still having problems," Jazmyn asked.

"Yes, but your father has a mechanic coming by later today to fix this," he grunted just as he got the door unjammed and open. "Alright, let's go."

* * *

Drago watched his apprentice in the training yard, droid parts scattered all over the place, torn to pieces by either the Force or a lightsaber. Drago had been pushing his apprentice and his upgrades. His apprentice was now stronger, but he was in pain, but that pain gave him focus.

Dagur ripped another droid in half, suing his bare hands, his new armor amplifying his strength, the pain from the implants made him angry, made him stronger. One of the droids shot at him, but he didn't even bother to deflect it with his lightsaber, his armor simply absorbed it. Not only did he have cortsosis plates, but he also had energy shields. He was invincible.

He reached out and grabbed the droid, and the remaining three react to it, with the Force and lifted them into the air. He threw both hands to the side and the droids were ripped in half, joining the others as scrap. Drago walked down the steps, clapping with each step.

"I am impressed, my apprentice," he growled, "The Jedi don't stand a chance against you now."

Dagur walked to his master and kneeled in front of him, his suit continued to cycle air, making the same noise with each breath inhaled and exhaled. "Thank you, my master."

"Now, you will prove your new strength, I have a task for you," Drago informed him.

"What is thy bidding, my master?"

* * *

Hiccup packed the last of his things into the storage compartment of his X-Wing, locking the door once it shut. It had been decided that they would take their fighters instead of _The Night Fury._ Ever since Runa's rescue, it had been plagued by a series of maintenance problems. First, it was the stabilizers, then a fuel line ruptured, then there was a leak in the hyperdrive. Stoick had ordered it grounded until further notice as engineers worked on it, searching for any hazards. Whoever the last owner was, they did a poor job with maintaining the ship.

After checking his orange jumpsuit, he looked over to his right and saw Runa approaching him with BB-12 in tow. "Ah, off to see me off then," he teased.

Runa chuckled, "yes, but not quite."

"What do you mean," Hiccup asked in confusion.

"Hammond wanted me to give you BB-12," Runa answered, stepping to the side to let the little droid approach him. "He thinks he'll be more useful to you on a diplomatic mission than in a dusty old ruin."

Hiccup cracked an eyebrow, "Were those his exact words?"

Runa shrugged, "I may have added my own flare to it."

Hiccup chuckled, Runa hadn't changed a bit. "Alright little guy, you're more than welcome with me."

BB-12 chirped in excitement, rolling to the astromech port under the ship and allowing the arm to put him in place. Once in, he began the routine checks to ensure the ship was in order.

"Speaking of which, how's Hammond doing," Hiccup asked.

"Well," Runa began but was interrupted when they heard Hammond's voice. Looking in the direction of his voice, they saw him walking along side Fishlegs towards the U-Wing they were given for their mission, talking about the ruins he was going to in with excitement.

"Is it really the birthplace of the Jedi," Fishlegs asked.

"We don't know, but to walk in one of the first Jedi Temples, who knows what we'll find," Hammond answered in excitement.

Runa smiled, "He's in full geek mood."

"Can you blame him," Hiccup asked, earning a giggle in response. Hammond had a deep love for history, and the origin of the Jedi Order was something no one had figured out. So for Hammond, going to one of the theorized origin places was a dream come true.

"I guess not," Runa replied, "But consider yourself lucky you guys get to go while I stay here."

Hiccup blinked in confusion, "Uh, I thought you found diplomatic missions and excavations to be boring."

"Yeah, but you guys are leaving me here with," Runa pointed to the twins as an example, who were testing how hard their punches were, on each other.

Ruffnut punched Tuffnut in the face, causing him to stumble a bit. But was unfazed, "punch me harder, I want to see stars."

His twin obliged and punched him again, this time knocking him to the floor. "Better," she leaned over and asked.

"Why are there six of you," Tuffnut asked, his speech completely slurred.

Runa looked back at Hiccup. "Oh come one, they're not that bad," Hiccup told her, "A little unfocused, but they're not bad. I'm surprised you don't get along with them."

"They're not the problem," Runa snapped back, "He is," she then added, gesturing to her right with her eyes and a tilt of her head. Following the path she pointed out, Hiccup saw a group of rebels around a table with Eret and Snotlout have an arm wrestling match, which Eret was winning. After a few moments, Eret pinned Snotlout's arm to the table, his crew erupting in cheers.

"To be honest, I think Snotlout is afraid of you. So you shouldn't worry about him," Hiccup stated, completely missing the point.

Runa gave him a blank stare that said, "Really?"

It took Hiccup a moment to understand what she meant, then he gave a silent "oh" in realization.

She was talking about Eret.

"Well, I can see why you say that," Hiccup muttered, scratching the back of his head nervously.

"Tell me about."

"Have you thought about talking to him," Hiccup blurted out, not thinking about what he was going to say.

"What did you say," Runa snapped at him.

"It's been over a month since he helped rescue you, and you're still angry at him," Hiccup pointed out.

"He handed me over to Alvin!"

"And he helped us rescue you," Hiccup added.

"After he was doubled crossed!"

"Well, a bad excuse is better than no excuse at all," Hiccup shrugged, hoping to get through to her. Runa was silent for a moment, thinking about what Hiccup said. 'Just, think about it." He concluded, giving her the space she needed as he prepped his ship for takeoff.

Meanwhile, Heather was watching Astrid prep her ship for takeoff, an angry scowl on her face the entire time. Heather was worried for her, she had never seen Astrid this angry before. She knew what it was about, it didn't take a Jedi to tell you what was up with Astrid.

She was jealous.

For the first time in her life, Astrid was jealous of someone who was better than her.

"Astrid," Heather spoke up softly, know that she was going into dangerous territory.

"What," Astrid asked, not hiding the irritation in her voice.

"I know you're not happy with this assignment," Heather began.

"Oh really," Astrid replied, narrowing her eyes as she looked at Heather.

"Yes, and I know what it's about."

"What is it," Astrid challenged.

"It's about Hiccup."

Astrid flexed her hand, trying not to get angry with her friend, "What about him?"

"You're jealous," Heather answered.

"No, I'm not," Astrid snapped.

"Yes, you are," Heather replied, "Now hold on and let me explain."

Astrid relaxed, deciding to listen. "Go on."

"Look, I understand you don't like being outshined by someone else, especially strangers," she began, "but think about, Hiccup, like you, trained his whole life to be a warrior, in his own way, and he was a general in the Clone Wars."

"I know, what's your point," Astrid asked, getting a little too irritated.

"This is something new, it's only natural you don't know how to handle this," Heather tried to reason, but she was starting to crack.

"No it isn't, he's like the others, showing off the get Stoick's attention," Astrid replied back, referencing all the times Hiccup outshined her, especially during missions she was in charge of.

"No, it's not like that, he-"

"Saved all of our lives!"

Both of them turned around to see Ruffnut walking towards them. She had left her brother on the floor and was walking to get a medic when she heard them talking, and she was going to give Astrid a piece of her mind.

"What was that," Astrid asked, irritated but also confused.

"If it wasn't for Hiccup 'showing off', how many times would we have died," Ruffnut asked her.

Astrid was stumped for a moment, "But...I..well…" she statured, unable to form a response.

"Oh c'mon Astrid, don't act like you care. You just care about yourself," Ruffnut told her.

"What," Astrid asked, even more confused.

"It's always been about you, hogging the spotlight for yourself. And now Hiccup's here and taking it from you, that's what is going on," Ruffnut continued.

"That's not true," Astrid denied with a shaky voice.

"Yes, it is," Ruffnut said, getting in her face. "You don't respect Hiccup, you don't respect Fishlegs, you don't respect Hammond, you certainly don't respect Snotlout, and you respect my brother and me," she continued, poking Astrid's chest with her pointer figure with every name she said.

No, that's not true," Astrid replied, "I…respect you," she tried to say, but the words barely got out of her mouth.

"Like I thought, you can't even say it," Ruffnut muttered, walking away from her.

Astrid looked to Heather, but all she could do was shrug, completely dumbfounded by Ruffnut's rant. "Just try to talk to Hiccup…without killing him," Heather advised her before walking away to leave her in silence.

Heather walked over to Hammond, who was waiting at the boarding ramp. "Are you alright," he asked, sensing her distress.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just, that was unexpected," she told him.

Hammond placed a hand on her shoulder, "That was brave of you, confronting Astrid like that."

Heather looked up at him, "The brave one was Ruffnut, I didn't think she had that in her."

Hammond smiled, "The twins sure are full of surprises." Heather nodded, and Hammond took his hand off, "Ready to go," he asked.

"Ready when you are."

Hammond turned and walked into the ship. The U-Wing was a troop transport, with a bulky body and two wings that could be deployed almost perpendicular to the body. Guardian was already in the ship, having finished the pre-flight checks. Hammond sat in the pilot seat, Heather riding co-pilot.

"This is Purple Leader," Hammond spoke into the comm, "Requesting permission for takeoff."

"Permission granted, good luck out there."

Once they comm turned off, Hammond began takeoff procedures. In the corner of his eye, he could see Hiccup and Astrid's fighters doing the same. Once a safe distance from _The Skullcrusher,_ they made the jump to light speed, heading to their separate destinations.

* * *

Tomas sat at his desk, taking a sip from his drink. Grenn walked in, "Everything's ready to go senator."

"Good, very good," Tomas muttered, looking thoughtfully into his glass.

Grenn knew that look, "Is there something wrong, senator," he asked in worry.

"The last time I left the capital in circumstances like this, it started a war," Tomas replied.

"Oh yes, Geonosis," Grenn nodded.

"Yes, I remember the Chancellor asking me to lead the negotiations, and meeting the Jedi security team," Tomas began.

"I believe Hiccup was a part of that team," Grenn pondered.

"Yes, he was," Tomas confirmed, then chuckled at the memory, "Boy tripped over his feet and fell into me."

"Haddocks, not the best at first impressions."

"Too true," Tomas agreed, but then his face grew sullen, "I remember when we landed, the Geonosisians killed most of my team, and the threw the rest of us into their colosseum, to be ripped apart by animals. If it wasn't for the Jedi or the clones…" Tomas stopped, preferring not to think about the 'what if?'

"Let's not think about the past right now," Grenn started, but then the lights began to flicker. Grenn pulled out his comm, "What's going on?"

"Power failure in the main generator and we've lost contact with the security team at the hanger."

"Alert all teams, and bring Alpha squad to the Senator's office, I'm going to go take a look." Deactivating his comm, he looked at Tomas, "Stay here," he ordered, then walked out the door.

The alarmed blared as he walked, security guards and servants running frantically as Grenn walked with purpose. Finally, he arrived at the jammed door, the only thing between him and the hanger. At the door, over a dozen guards were trying to get the door open. One of the guards, a sergeant, stood at attention when Green walked up, "Lieutenant."

"Status report."

The sergeant nodded, "Still no word from the team at the hanger, and we're still having power problems." As if to prove it, the lights flickered again.

Then, yelling was heard on the other side of the door. In a flash, fifteen guards appeared on the other side of the door. It was all that was left of the hanger security team. One of them started banging on the door, "Open the door, he's coming," he screamed.

"Who," Grenn asked, looking through the clear glass.

Just then, the lights on the hanger side went out, putting them in complete darkness. In the darkness, they could see a set of red beady eyes with red mouth agape, like it was screaming in rage.

Khooooooooh...Khaaaaaaaah

Darth Insanus activated his lightsaber, the red glow of the blade now the only source of light in the hallway. The guards at the back began to panic, "Open fire," one yelled, starting a plethora of blaster fire, all of it erratic and unprecise. Darth Insanus began walking forward, deflecting each shot like swatting away a fly. Deflected bolts hit the walls or hit the guards, and those he didn't deflect were absorbed by his armor.

Once he was within striking distance, Darth Insanus brought down his lightsaber in an overhead attack, striking one of the guards, then striking another one next to him. The guard at the door began to pound faster, fear and panic in his eyes, as his fellows were being slaughtered, "Help us!"

Grenn tried to pry the door open, but it wouldn't budge. Looking up, he saw the Sith Lord get closer, picking a guard up and using him as a shield, then tossing him to the side and continuing his attack. With a heavy heart, Grenn looked at the man and shook his head. "I'm sorry," he whispered, "Fall back, we need to get the senator out of here."

His men obeyed him without question and began running down the hall, Grenn taking a moment to look back before leaving. The last thing he was before turning was the Sith Lord's blade going through the man on the other side of the door.

As he ran down the hall, Grenn pulled out his comm, "We need to evacuate the senator, now!" But just as they got to the senator's room, they were greeted by chaos. Deathtroopers had stormed the place and were quickly cutting through the guards. Behind them, Darth Insanus had caught up and begun his work killing the men at the rear of the group. They were outmanned, outnumbered, and outgunned.

From their side of the door, Tomas and his personal guards could hear the commotion. The door had been barricaded and they had their weapons aimed at it. Tomas had his own blaster stashed under the desk. While he preferred negotiations, he wasn't afraid to defend himself.

Suddenly, the sound outside stopped.

The men looked to each other and to Tomas, unsure what their orders were.

Before they could react, the door exploded inward and Green's lifeless body landed in front of them. The guards took aim, but then began to clutch at the throats as they began to choke. Darth Insanus walked in, one hand in the air and the other clutching his still active lightsaber. He raised his arm in the air, causing the men to raise with it. Then with a flick of his wrist, he snapped their necks.

Tomas reached for his blaster, but it was pulled out of his hand and flew into Darth Insanus's hand, who snapped it in half like it was a toy. "Senator Orion, we need to talk!"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Sorry for the long wait, school and life got in my way, and I just didn't have any interest to write when I had the time. Thank goodness season four of Race to the Edge fixed that. I wish this chapter was longer to compensate for the break, but this was the best I could do.**

 **And don't worry, Hiccstrid is coming.**

 **If you like this story, please feel free to follow, favorite, and review (Seriously, reviews help me write more), feel free to leave constructive critics in reviews, and I hoped you enjoyed this chapter.**


	17. Announcment

Sorry to disappoint, but this isn't a chapter. This is an announcement that I'm currently working on revising this story.

It's not a full-blown rewrite, but some things will change and I will work on my grammar. Even as I post this, I'm already working on chapter 3.

Don't worry, I won't abandon this story. Life juts won't let me write as much as I want to.

So, once I finish the revision, I'll delete this story then repost it with the new chapters as I work on chapter 17.

Thanks for the patience and support you guys have given me and I hope you like the revised version of this story when it is released.


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